If Only I Ever Could
by Devonshire
Summary: It's been a year since Sam's death and Dean's attribution to any kind of hunting. One year later, Dean lives a normal life with Lisa until Crowley makes a deal that brings Jo back from the dead. *DISCONTINUED*
1. One

**AN: Hey ya'll! Just a quick word - a story 'bout Jo and Dean - love to hear what you think or how I can make it better I need you to R/R for this story to go on. Also gonna post the songs that I use for this story randomly at the start of the chapter... well, just because that is what influences me to write the chapters.**

* * *

But it's not forever

...it's just tonight.

_ Sex On Fire - Kings of Leon_

* * *

Jo Harvelle fell on to the ground.

It had been quite a while she since she had last felt any pain at all, and she didn't miss it one bit.

She groaned and pulled herself up with stinging palms.

There was nothing but the setting sun on the horizon, casting a golden glow on the wheat fields. The barren and isolated crossroads stretched out from underneath her, snaking their way through the country side. If the case wasn't so serious, Jo would've called the scenery pretty.

"Glad to see you drop by!" a voice exclaimed behind her.

A man, probably in his late thirties stood a few feet behind her. He was dressed from foot to neck in black, with his hands stuffed inside his trench coat pockets and an apparent pleased expression planted on his smug face.

Jo huddled herself, watching him watch her. "Where am I?"

He chuckled, enjoying some sort of private joke. "How's your head?"

Her head throbbed and Jo had to grit her teeth to ignore the pain. "Just perfect."

"Manners," he reminded, smiling his cat-like smile. He started to circle her slowly. "Well, let's get back to what matters most. And that is why you're here, why I'm here and what we're doing here."

He walked a couple of feet closer to her, but Jo reacted defensively and took two retreating steps.

"Who are you?" Jo asked cautiously.

He stopped, still smirking. "Oh, just guess."

Jo didn't have to be a genius. "You're a demon."

"I'm not any normal demon, sweet heart," he said. "I'll give you a hint: King of the Crossroads, demon who had the Colt..?"

Jo shook her head. Even though it felt a long time since she had last been here, Jo had the memories like they only happened yesturday. "Crowley," she fumed.

"Bingo!" Crowley said, pleased. "And you're next question is..."

"Why am I here?" She felt like she was in a horrible sit-com.

"That's a beauty, isn't it?" Crowley smirked, before getting back to business. "You're here because I'm here. You see, you're someone's deal and I am the dealer. Therefore, you're back on the rock, more alive than you have been in hell... a year and a half."

Jo didn't know how to react, so she reached in to her pocket as a reflex to draw her father's iron knife-

"Looking for this?" Crowley offered, looking at the small knife in his hand.

Jo felt a pulse of anger run through her as she watched the demon fiddle with her fathers knife. "Give that back."

Crowley inspected it for one more moment and shrugged, flipping the tip to hand her the handle. "I almost forgot to give you this. You left it in the rubble after that spectacular kamakaze attack."

Jo hesitated looking at the knife. Was it a trick? Was he going to kill her when she took it? She took the knife with trepidation. "Uh... thanks."

She held onto it tightly, not sure whether to put it in her pocket or not. Crowley seemed at ease though, watching her closely. "Any other questions before we head off out of this blasted place?"

"You said I was a part of a deal," Jo said slowly.

Crowley chuckled darkly. "That infomation is kept between myself and them," he continued. "But you were sent down with your memories erased about your afterlife for one specific reason."

His eyes glinted and Jo shivered. "What's this... reason?"

Crowely smiled. "You can have a happy, free life with the man you love. No more demons, no more hunts. Paradise for the both of you. You could live the perfect life with Dean Winchester."

_Dean._ Jo felt her heart break inside when she thought of Dean and what he had said when he left her for the last time. Jo tried not to look shifted by Crowley's words, even though her insides were eating her up. "What's the catch?" Jo asked, narrowing her eyes.

Crowley shrugged. "All you have to do is make Dean Winchester go back to good old hunting. Make him become a hunter again and search and fight evil," Crowley said. "Make the world safer and so on."

"And what happens if I say no?" Jo asked, crossing her arms.

He sighed, "you get sent back to whatever pit you come from and Dean loses his soul to some poor demon and loses his way."

"Dean gave up hunting?" Jo asked, confused. Dean had mentioned that he wanted to, but she would never had thought in a million years that he had given up so soon.

"Sam died," Crowley replied. "And Dean stopped hunting."

She felt horrible. Jo couldn't imagine how it affected Dean. She closed her eyes, feeling the tears burn. When she opened them, she had one more question. Possibly one to help the man she loved and to give him some peace. "If I say yes, when Dean hunts... will he meet Sam?"

Crowley smiled his cat like smile. "If Dean if persueded to hunt again, he can save Sam."

Jo nodded. "And he will have his soul..."

"And you two can be together," Crowley threw in. "So a deal or not?"

Jo closed her eyes, not knowing if she did the right thing. "Okay. Deal."


	2. Two

**AN: hey thanks to those who R/R to the first chapter – made me happy. Sorry for the long chapter – just a recap on Dean's now daily life – no angels, no demons, no hunts...so far? **

* * *

Given a chance...

_To be somebody._

_Be Somebody, Kings of Leon_

* * *

Dean Winchester gripped the steering wheel tightly and eased himself back into his seat.

The road would always be the wind under his wings whenever he wanted to have some time out. Because he always knew he could escape into that place, turn up the music and drive.

But the road today was different and he felt uneasy. The car wasn't his beloved Impala, but Lisa's own Sedan. He wasn't driving to a hunt, but to drive Ben to school.

A ten year old Ben stared out of the window, watching the traffic in the rain. They stopped at the red light.

An awkward silence settled. Dean tried to think of something fatherly to say. "So... first day in grade 5, huh?"

_Well done, Dean._

"Yeah." Bored.

"You know at my first day at grade 5, I met my first girlfriend," Dean chuckled. Sherly. She was a gymnastic girl and the coolest girl in the class. He looked over to see Ben still staring out. Dean frowned, smile fading. "What's up?"

"I don't want to go to school," he mumbled, confessing. He didn't seem too pleased.

"Aw, c'mon man," Dean replied. "You know Lisa will kick my butt if I let you skip school again. Besides, it's a new school, a new town. Let's make the most of it, you know? Make some friends?"

_Make friends._

"Yeah, but _you_ didn't have to go to school all the time," Ben countered, finally looking at Dean. "I hear what you and Mom talk about at night. I'm not stupid."

Dean tensed, snapping his gaze back to the green lights and accelerating. "Ben, that's suppose to be between your mother and me."

"But I wanna hunt monsters," Ben complained. "I wanna go out there and help people. I don't want to learn about science or math or stupid English. Those things won't get me anywhere. I want to fight evil – like you did when you were a kid."

"You don't know what you're talking about," he replied, for the thousandth time. "Ben, what I did... what I used to do, I don't do it anymore. You want to know why?"

"Because it scared the hell out of you?" Ben finished automatically, looking out the window again. They obviously had been having the same argument for a while.

Ben didn't say anything else until they arrived at the school. Dean managed to find a car park behind the school bus.

"Alright, got all your stuff?" Dean said, as Ben unbuckled himself and got his bag from the floor by his feet. Dean felt weird checking the list. With his own brother it was always: _rock salt? Check. Ammo? Check. Saw-off? Yup. Dad's diary? Dean, of course._

"Books?"

"Yep."

"Pens?"

"Yep."

"Lunch?"

"Yep."

"Locker combination?"

Ben had to unzip his bag to retrieve the piece of paper.

"Alright," Dean said, turning off the car and getting out. Ben shrugged on his school bag and the both of them made their way up the stairs with the other students.

Dean didn't want a trip down memory lane.

It looked like it had since the last time he had been here. Grey lockers covered in worn out stickers or posters for the "Parent Teacher Night on Thursday". White wash walls, salmon pink school doors and yellow stained tiles. To make matters worse, the hall was crawling with kids half his size and a tendency to knock into him.

The both of them walked up to the office desk where an old lady that reminded Dean of the Anti-Santa's he once hunted (putting that paranoid thought to the back of his mind) looked up at Dean and Ben and smiled.

"Can I help you?" she asked sweetly.

"Yeah," Dean gave his best-fake smile back. "Ben here is new at the school. He's starting grade 5. We're here to see Mr. Logan?"

Ben shuffled a little on his feet nervously. Dean looked at the lady's name tag. _Anne W._

"Yes, I will get him for you," Anne said, getting up. "One moment, please."

She disappeared through the doors to the Teachers Lounge, this gave time for Dean to crouch down and give Ben one more good bye.

"Alright, now remember the rules," Dean reminded him. "If you get bullied, what do you do?"

"Fight back and stand up for myself," Ben said, puffing out his little chest. "And make sure they never come back. Oh and to hit them where it hurts."

Dean chuckled. "That's it. Now to score a chick-"

"Mr. Winchester. Ben," greeted a tall, skinny man behind him. Dean stood up and took his outright hand and shook it. "My name is Mr. Logan, I'm the head co-ordinator for grade 4 and 5. I am also the Maths teacher for both grades and do tutoring on the sides."

"Oh," Dean replied faking interest. Dean thought he was already a dick. He dressed like a dick too, in the woollen vest and cardigan. Slightly gay looking also. Dean looked at his name badge and smirked. "Of course, uh, Richard. Ben's a little behind on the maths stuff but I'm sure you'll be able to look after him."

He clapped Ben's shoulder and plastered a smile.

Richard Logan didn't notice the sarcasm in Dean's voice and pushed his glasses back up his hook nose. "Well, yes indeed. We will see if Ben needs any special care during his time here. In fact, Mr. Winchester," Richard went on, eying Dean like a hawk. "There is a parent-teacher night on Thursday and I think it would be best if you and Ben would come."

Dean didn't know whether he was trying to act sarcastically back or not. He gave a casual shrug of the shoulders, "sure. Thursday, sounds great. I'll put it in my diary."

Richard gave him a funny look. "Well, we better get moving. Ben," Richard looked down at him. "I'll give you a buddy to tag along with and we'll get you sorted."

Ben nodded eagerly and Richard straightened up to Dean. "Well, good day to you, Mr. Winchester."

Dean nodded stiffly. "Yeah, you too Logan."

Ben wrapped his arms around Dean. He chuckled and ruffled the kids hair. "Have a good one kid," he smiled. "Remember what I told you."

Ben finally let go, and nodded. "Mom's picking me up?" he asked.

Dean nodded. "I have a few extra hours at work alright? But I'll see you tonight."

When Ben was whisked away with Mr. Logan, Dean walked straight out of the school and to the car.

Twenty minutes later, Dean pulled up to a small building in the Sedan. The rain had stopped and the sky was beginning to clear. _Jacksonville Mechanics_ was painted on the red sign above him. The garage doors were already up. When Dean walked in, slugging off his jacket and heading to get some coffee, a thick hand smacked him on the shoulder.

"Dean, you son of a bitch!" greeted Rob, who miraculously wasn't covered in anything just yet. "Holy crap man, how long has it been? Six months?"

"Rob, my man," Dean smiled, even though Rob wasn't his man at all. Hell, he annoyed the crap out of Dean and everyone else. "I thought you quit? Where did you go? Mexico?"

Dean went to the back, behind the machinery and the shelves to the small office. Inside, it smelt like old paper and coffee. Rob followed Dean inside. Rob was thirty five like Dean, with bright red hair and slightly overweight. He hussled in pool with Dean once and never challenged him on that day forth.

Inside the office, Bruce, a twenty something-year old guy with blond hair and bright blue eyes was lying on three chairs outstretched, dozing off. Dean kicked the chair and Bruce groaned.

"Rise and shine, Princess," Dean called out. Bruce was probably the favourite of the guys Dean liked the most. It wasn't because he was annoying like Rob or anything. He reminded him of Sammy.

Sam. His gut tightened at the word.

If it wasn't for him, Sam would still be alive. He should have told his younger brother to stop and not find the devil. But of course it was too late and he was dead.

But that wasn't the worse part, the worst part was knowing he was burning in Hell.

Dean felt himself pale and he closed his eyes. It wasn't until Bruce had thrown a magazine at Rob's head to shut him up, that Dean snapped back into reality.

"Don't give me a tantrum, Bruce," jeered Rob. "What happened last night? Partied too hard?"

"Shut the fuck up, Rob," Bruce groaned, managing to sit up. "I don't need your crap in the morning. Go back to Mexico."

Dean grabbed a mug and poured himself some coffee. "Want one, Bruce?"

The guy nodded. "Holy crap my head hurts..."

"So man, I met this chick on the holidays," Rob went on, tagging behind Dean. "She had the biggest tits-"

Dean chuckled. "C'mon man, you're making yourself sound dirtier than the cars we fix."

"So you don't want the story?" Rob tempted. "Two blondes? Or the Mexican waitress?"

There was a sound of a car beeping out the front of the garage and the old woman receptionist's voice crackled through the speakers. "Customer, boys."

There were two things Dean was certain about Rob: one; he wasn't even that good looking for a girl to ask him out and two; he couldn't ask a girl out.

Dean settled his cup down on the table and Rob decided to change the subject. "So when are you going to fix that car, Dean?"

They headed out to the garage where the cold, morning air greeted them. "I don't know what you're talking about," Dean lied. Completely blasé.

"C'mon, I mean the Impala, dude," Rob breathed, looking back over his shoulder like the car was a trophy. "I mean, it's been in here for, hell, one year? You haven't done anything to it yet. It's in perfect condition. You could sell it," he suggested.

Dean stopped walking and turned to face Rob. He made the most serious face he could do and straightened himself to his full height. "Lay a finger on her and I'll cut your arm off."

For a moment a few shades disappeared from Rob's face. An awkward silence settled in until Rob managed an odd sounding chuckle, slapped Dean on the shoulder and started to walk away. "You're hilarious, Dean. Man, you almost had me."

Dean glanced at the corner of the garage. Behind the shelves of car parts, in the unused bay, was his baby. Dean had sworn never to look back on his old life, which meant that he could no longer drive his once beloved Impala. But at the same time, he couldn't just let it go. He wasn't ready to sell it to someone who might crash it or not take good enough care of it. His Impala was his baby, they had good times and bad but she was there for him.

Dean had cut himself into two pieces: The old Dean who hunted the supernatural (which he told no one – only Lisa...and Ben kept it secret) and his brother were in the past – _almost_ long forgotten. And the new Dean: the man of the house, who had a woman he could go home to and a kid he could look after. The new Dean had a future for him. He had a family that he could protect and learn to love. He didn't have to be the person who slept in his car on hunting trips, who had one night stands and got drunk until he fell unconscious.

Hell, even if he did work in a car garage, fixing up old cars and dents and whatever, it made him seem more normal than he could ever ask for. People had accepted him finally for who he was. And it was all because of Lisa.

Lisa Breadan, the woman to took her in when he no longer could cope. She didn't question, she didn't push until he was ready to tell her. Dean told her what happened and she didn't question. That is the reason why Dean loves her and Ben.

Maybe one day, Dean and Lisa will start their own family. Have another kid on their own and give Ben a little brother or sister to play with.

Dean smiled inside. He was looking forward to that life.


	3. Three

**AN: By the way, the songs at the top of each Chapter don't really go with the Chapter itself - just randomly put there as my Playlist :)**

* * *

Something special in my mind,  
Nothing's gonna cause me distress.  
I text my baby on her phone,  
Try to get her sexy body on  
That's the way I wanna spend my day.  
Got to find an alibi.

_No Stress - Laurent Wolf_

* * *

When Dean got home, dinner was on the table waiting for him. And so was Lisa.

Ben was in the other room, watching TV.

She looked so beautiful even though she was slaving over a hot stove an hour before. Spread before her was paper slips and forms of the new school. She was already in her night gown. Dean arched an eyebrow.

Before Dean could say anything, Lisa looked up at him. "You're late."

He sighed, feeling tired already. "I told you I had to work later. Daniel broke his arm and can't make it."

Lisa nodded. "I know, you told me that."

He walked over to her and kissed her forehead. "Babe, what's wrong? Did I do something?"

She shook her head. "It's not you... it's just this school," she bit her lip. "I don't know if this is the right choice, to send Ben to another school. I mean, he was doing so well... urgh, I'm just stressed about it all, Dean."

She ran her hand through her hair. Dean sat down, pushing his plate away. "You did the best that you could do," he said to her. "The teacher's weren't giving him enough support. Ben had to move to another school."

"Yeah, but it wasn't the teachers, Dean," Lisa said, rolling her eyes.

He leaned back. "Bullying? Is this what it's about?"

"You can't have a grown man chase after four nine year olds," Lisa argued. Dean couldn't understand why she was being so negative about it.

"Those little punks didn't come back, did they?" Dean countered.

Lisa shook her head. "You've got to allow Ben to make his own decisions- _right_," she added quickly, as Dean watched her. "-decisions. You can't tell him things to fight back or to hurt those kids."

He looked at her innocently. Lisa rolled her eyes again. "C'mon Dean, it runs in your blood to tell Ben those things."

"It's not such a bad thing, Lisa," Dean said, shaking his head. "You're looking at it all wrong. I'm not telling Ben to go get himself smacked in by a Year 7. I'm teaching him how to survive."

"Because that's what your father taught you?" Lisa countered, crossing her arms. "Dean, this isn't your life anymore. Ben isn't living your life, he's just a kid going to a normal school. He's a kid, they are kids. You can't tell him to fight. It's going to get him into trouble and could get him kicked out of school."

Dean sighed, already tired. "Fine. You're right. I'll teach Ben to be defenceless. The most vulnerable kids are usually the nobodies so..."

"You'll teach him nothing," Lisa reminded, giving him _that_ female dominance look. A part of him wanted to retaliate. "And no Swiss Army Knives either," she added.

"How about a small fish knife?"

"No, Dean," Lisa said, being serious. "This isn't a joke. I don't want Ben to get hurt anymore."

He raised his hands, telling he surrendered. Lisa pulled all the papers back together and shuffled them in a pile. Dean smiled, Lisa caught his gaze.

"What's with the dressing gown?"

Lisa looked down at herself and back at Dean, watching him carefully. "I'm _tired_," she emphasised, trying to keep her face straight. Dean chuckled. No one can pull a Poker Face in front of the Poker-Face-King.

He smiled his cat-like smile up at her. "Did I tell you, you look sexy?"

He got up and kissed her. He knew that she was calculating everything he was doing tonight and all Dean wanted was to just go upstairs and let Ben put himself to bed. But Lisa wouldn't approve of that. Well, Lisa doesn't approve of a lot of things Dean does...

He tipped her head back and caught her by the waist. Lisa gasped and chuckled. Dean was off the hook, he could land it on a high tonight. "Go get yourself washed up," she smiled, smacking him. She managed to pull herself away and start cleaning up. "I'll heat up your dinner."

Dean smiled. "What would I do without you, Lisa?"

She grinned back, "probably curl up and die."


	4. Four

**AN: Jo and Dean in two more chapters! Hope I haven't bored you out just yet :P Jo's POV in the next chapter. Ciao!**

* * *

Sweet about me

nothing sweet about me!

_Sweet About Me - Gabriella Climi_

* * *

Lisa, Ben and Dean had finally unpacked everything in the house. Lisa had rung Dean up at work when she unpacked the last box. It had been three months now since they had moved to Jacksonville. Winter was over and the warm weather was more frequent.

"We have officially moved in," Lisa told him. "Everything's unpacked and finished and I think we need to celebrate."

"Celebrate?" Dean asked, wiping the grease off his hands and arms with an old rag. He grinned, even though Lisa couldn't see it. "What do you have planned?"

Lisa could hear perfectly well what he meant. "I'd thought that we all should go out tonight. Y'know, take Ben and go to the restaurant down the street. It's perfect as well, considering the promotion at the hospital."

"I still can't believe you got that promotion as the maternity nurse," Dean mused. Lisa as a nurse and a mother was so...respectable.

"And I can't believe that you are still in the same old job with the same old career," Lisa teased. "So tonight, Dean? Seven o'clock?"

Dean nodded, knowing Lisa couldn't see that either. "I'll be home at five," he promised her.

"You better."

Dean closed the phone and put it in his pocket and went on his lunch break. It was midday at the local diners. He knew a few people here, Flora, the old duck that served him most days of the week. Brent, the cook, Julie the young waitress and Ellen the other waitress. Flora came over to the table and poured him more coffee.

"Was that Lisa?" she asked, smiling. Dean nodded and Flora topped his cup. "Tell her that she can take Ben over to my house any time you guys are busy. I'm more than happy to look after him."

Dean smiled, "I'll let you know, Flora. Thanks."

Probably not.

He finished his coffee and left the tip on the table before leaving the store.

Outside, it was warm, sunny and the main street was busy. Dean didn't think of the two people arguing beside the alley way. Two black men were arguing about someone's sister or something being somewhere at the wrong time. Dean shoved his wallet in his pocket and walked past.

Violence, arguing. Everything everywhere. The way the argument was going, things were going to get ugly. The old Dean would stop the fight, be careless and a smart ass. But Dean had a woman to go home to – who expected him to be no longer who he was.

But Dean wasn't perfect. He believed he was still cracked and broken inside.

The bar smelt like cigarettes and beer. It was the smell of his past and even though Dean forced himself to be clean for Lisa, he still gave into temptation every once in a while.

"Beer, thanks." Dean sat down at the counter as the bartender went off to pour him a beer. There were a few unfamiliar faces in the room, more looking like roughed-up truck drivers than anything. There was a half game of pool still left on the pool table and Cat Stevens playing quietly through the jukebox.

As much as Dean denied it, being here felt more closer to home than he ever felt in months.

"There you go," the male bartender handed Dean his beer and walked off to clean some glasses at the other end of the bar.

Dean sighed and relaxed, lifting the glass to his lips.

"When Lisa finds out your here, you know she's not going to be impressed," a male voice said beside him.

Dean nearly snorted the beer out through his nostrils. He turned around to see a smug looking Crowley dressed in back looking calmly back at him.

"By the way, you should really make sure you change a shirt as well," he continued, looking at the beer stain. "You know, to get rid of the alcoholic aroma."

Dean was too stunned to talk, he scanned the room to see if anyone was watching. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?" he demanded, spluttering. He thought he was having a nightmare. "How did you find me?"

Crowley motioned the bartender to him. "Scotch," he looked at Dean. "Trust me, it wasn't easy to find where you were. I had to go through a lot of eyewitnesses. It's almost killed me," he blurred on dramatically.

Dean scanned the bar for something sharp. Nothing except some nuts on a tray. He glowered at Crowley, "I don't want you here. Get out."

Crowley took the scotch and sniffed it. He gave Dean a sly smile. "But I'm here, and I have some news for you."

He didn't know whether to punch Crowley in the face or to stand up and walk it off.

"What news?" Dean's heart was pumping, trying to be blase. Was the news about... his brother?

"Look, just because your friend with wings made you invisible, doesn't mean that demons have stopped searching for you," Crowley said, lowering his voice and ignoring his question. "You still have a red target painted on your backside and as long as you're with someone who doesn't have the white magic on them, means that they're in greater danger. Demon's are going to find out where you live and their going to storm in and slaughter that girl Lisa and that boy, mate."

Dean almost scoffed. Just because he had left his old life behind didn't mean he had to be completely careless. There was a devils trap underneath the mat in the hallway and salt lines across all the other entries to the house.

"I have them protected," he answered, narrowing his eyes. "Lisa and Ben are fine."

Crowley didn't phase. "How long are you going to keep hiding them?"

Dean wanted to hide, to think. He felt the anger for those sons of bitches grow deep inside his gut. "Well they can have me," Dean said, feeling cocky. "They can have me right now, but there is no way in hell they are going to get Lisa and Ben."

Crowley chuckled darkly. "No need to go all suicidal, Dean. You still have a purpose. No use throwing it away."

"Purpose?" Dean echoed, in disbelief. "I'm sorry, remind me again what my purpose is? As the last time I found out my purpose, it ended with my brother being dead and all."

Crowley took a swig of the scotch and placed it down. "I heard what happened to your brother and I'm sorry."

Dean grunted and took a large mouthful of beer. "You don't seem to be the sympathetic type."

Crowley leaned forward. "I don't know where you've been this past twelve monthsconsidering you've turned your back to the world-"

"Yeah, well..." Dean grunted, coming up with nothing smart to say.

"I want you to listen carefully to me," he said, leaning over. "But you have to realise that hundreds of Demons are getting out of Hell every month and causing havoc. Angels are falling down from Heaven and are walking down here. If you haven't watched the news – its like the apocalypse out there, and there aren't enough hunters in the world to take on both sides."

Dean had had enough. He set down the beer and turned to look Crowley straight in the eye. He couldn't believe this damn demon. Crowley had vanished just after he sent the brothers to find Death. He shook with anger and disbelief. "Listen to me, you son of a bitch," Dean said fiercely. "There is no way in hell I'm going back there. I'm not a hunter any more, I'm not any of that stuff you fanaticise in your sleep. That's all in the past."

Crowley contemplated for a moment. "So you wouldn't go back, even if it meant you were to see you brother again?"

Dean couldn't control it. Flashes of memories went past his eyes, burning into his skull.

"Not even for the chance to save him?" Crowley pushed.

No matter what he promised his brother, Dean wanted so badly to save him. _Go have a normal life Dean, have a normal picket fence life with Lisa._

"I...can't do it," Dean replied, shaking. "I promised him that I wouldn't."

"Really?"

Crowley raised his eye brows at the confronting question._ What's the worst Sam could do?_

Dean grunted, sitting back down at the stool. Crowley motioned the bar tender to get another beer.

"Why so generous?" Dean replied coldly, looking at the drink the demon gave him.

"Well," he replied, leaning back on the counter. "One: you're not completely armed like some moronic Rambo, and secondly, I'm here to deal."

Dean chuckled darkly. "Oh you lumpy son of a bitch..."

"It's about Jo." Crowley dropped his gaze.

Dean almost dropped his glass. It was like the whole room shifted underneath him. "What about her?" More damn importantly – "what happened?"

Dean hadn't seen Jo in almost a year and a half. Jo and her mother Ellen had given up their lives to help and _save_ Sam and Dean to find Lucifer. Jo was the woman who he would never forget.

But to hear her name again – so real and spoken – made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. In the midst of thinking about her, Dean hadn't realised that he had gotten to his feet and was about to round house Crowley.

"Hitting me will only hurt more for you," Crowley reminded, standing up also to his full height.

Dean forced himself to relax his whole body that was shaking with adrenaline. "How is Jo?" he asked. He hadn't heard anything about her since she passed and had always desperately wanted to know if she was alright.

Crowley smiled a cat-like smile and pushed his hands in his jacket pocket.

"I pointed her to the direction of your house. Why don't you ask her yourself?"


	5. Five

**AN: Whoa! My bad! :D**

* * *

He's a stranger to some and a vision to none  
He can never get enough, get enough of the one  
For a fortune, he'd quit but it's hard to admit  
How it ends and begins on his face is a map of the world  
A map of the world, on his face is a map of the world  
A map of the world

_From Yesturday - 30 Seconds to Mars_

* * *

Jo wasn't sure she was at the right place.

The suburb was too nice, too 'modern family' for her. The streets were too clean, most of the cars parked in the drive ways of the manicured lawns were sedans or business cars. A man was out watering the flowers out the front of his house, the postman was delivering mail across the road. As Jo walked down the foot path, looking for signs of _anything_, her nervousness grew.

The sun beated down on her long, blonde curled hair, warming her up in her favourite tan leather jacket and jeans. She felt out of place from this perfect scenery – a hunter would always dream to have this normal picket fence life with the white double fronted Victorian houses and perfect gardens. That's why she felt like a stain in the perfect picture.

Jo moved her eyes from the house numbers to the houses. 13...15...17...19... until she ended up at the letter box of house number 21. The house was just as perfect and just as beautiful as all the others, with perfect green grass and lovely flowers in the garden. But unlike all the other houses on the block, this one had a basketball hoop nailed on top of the garage in the driveway.

She couldn't picture Dean living here. No, not in a million years.

But the truth was staring her in the face. Dean wouldn't live here, by himself.

"Take it or leave it," Jo breathed. She knew she would meet him in a matter of moments, but she was too nervous.

Did he still have feelings for her? Had he moved on and decided to start a family?

_Had he forgotten all about Jo?_

The last time they met, Dean had finally managed to tell Jo his feelings for her but she had never returned the favour until now. She would tell him.

She hovered at the gate, biting her lip. Maybe he wasn't home... maybe this wasn't Dean's house. Maybe Crowley was messing around with her.

Jo couldn't wait anymore, she looked around anxiously and started up the paved path.

_It's now or never..._

Jo straightened herself up, worried with how she looked. _Calm, Jo, Dean's seen you worse._

She could hear Dean whispering those words in her ear and she smiled warmly, feeling her cheeks redden.

Jo lifted her hand to the door and knocked. A few moments later, the door opened and Jo couldn't help but smile.


	6. SIX

**AN: Hey guys please R/R! Would love to hear your feedback and whether I made mistakes or not haha...**

* * *

I don't care what people say  
The rush is worth the price I pay  
I get so high when you're with me  
But crash and crave you when you are away

_You're Love is My Drug - Ke$ha_

* * *

It was a face Jo wasn't going to forget. Her smile faultered.

A pretty dark haired woman stood before her, waiting for Jo to say something. Jo tried to say hello but it came out like mush.

"Can I... help you?" she offered after the awkward silence. She glanced up and down suspiciously at Jo.

"Is..." Jo glanced sideways to the boots next to the door. She shook her head, backing away. "I'm sorry. I think I've got the wrong address."

_Crowley's just playing mind games._

She began to walk away when the woman called out, "are you looking for someone? Perhaps I can help."

Jo turned around slowly, feeling that this was a stupid idea to be here at all. The woman walked down to the last porch step, waiting.

She didn't realise how nervous she was to say it out loud. "I'm looking for a guy," she replied, tucking a strand behind her ear. "You know six feet tall, dark hair, green eyes?"

To Jo's disappointment, the woman replied, "Dean Winchester? What's he done?"

It was weird hearing another woman say Dean's name the way Jo always wanted to say it. It was obvious the woman in front of her loved Dean very much. It almost made Jo flinch.

But she managed to smile, ignoring the stitch in her chest. "Not that I know of."

She chuckled. "Yeah, well Dean's always a magnet for trouble," she said, adding as an after note. "My name is Lisa by the way."

"Jo," Jo greeted.

Lisa narrowed her eyes in the sunlight. "You want to come inside? Have something to drink?"

"Sure," she replied as Lisa walked into the house.

Jo stepped through the door and Lisa's eyes snapped down to Jo's feet. Jo caught the drift. "Do you want me to take them off?"

Lisa shook her head. "No, that's fine. Shoes are allowed," she said heading down the narrow hall.

Jo closed the door. It was definitely cooler in here as she walked down the hallway following Lisa into the kitchen. Jo looked around and found some photos on the hallway table. She stopped, picking up a frame.

Dean, Lisa and a little boy that looked almost like they're son. Jo's stomach turned. Dean had started a family. Good for him. Dean didn't tell her. That _jackass_.

Jo wanted to get out of the house straight away. She could feel the walls close in on her. It was obvious that she was no longer in Dean's thoughts – hell he ran off and had a kid. Jo put the frame down, noticing her fingers were shaking. She stuffed them in her pockets.

"So, how do you know Dean?" Lisa asked, searching the fridge as Jo entered the kitchen. Jo felt nauseous and sat down at the kitchen counter.

She shrugged. "Me and him go way back. Trust me."

Lisa nodded and looked away uncomfortable. Jo realised what she had just said.

"No! Not like that," Jo said quickly, trying to cover her tracks. "I mean we never were – never really had a relationship. Not saying we didn't have a strong friendship because we did. But it was nothing serious," Jo added, chagrined._ Shut up, Jo. Shut up._ "I'm saying that I wasn't his girlfriend or anything because he usually went for older people. Y'know not someone my age."

Lisa didn't look happy. Jo groaned, rubbing her head. What she just said obviously didn't make Lisa like Jo anymore than she did. "Just...just forget what I said."

Lisa handed her the glass of water. "Already forgotten," Lisa replied, smiling tightly.

They shared an awkward silence as the drank. Jo wanted to get out of the house and Lisa probably wanted her out also. Jo tried to make small talk, "so are you're a nurse?"

Lisa looked down to the nurse uniform she still had on. She smiled, "at the Jacksonville Hospital. I just got promoted as the Maternity Nurse."

"Congratulations," Jo smiled, looking at the bottom of her empty glass.

Another awkward silence followed.

"So what do you do?" Lisa asked.

"I finished university," Jo lied, making it up as she went. "And I've been travelling ever since."

"What did you do there?" Lisa continued, interested.

"I uh, did a Bachelor of Medicine," Jo replied.

"Oh, so you're doing a course I did," Lisa nodded. "Who was your tutor?"

"Dr. Scully."

Lisa nodded, "cool."

Lisa and Jo began to talk. Family, friends. Jo obviously sugar-coated _a lot_ of her background. Lisa came from a normal family – nothing out of the ordinary. Jo pretended her life was normal too. But Lisa's life seemed to make Jo's life more darker with every word.

She couldn't relate to shopping with both of her parents. Or relate to having a baby when she was twenty. Or how she could understand what it was like to have normal everyday problems like losing the car keys or spilling coffee on her new shirt.

Deep inside, Jo envied Lisa. She was the perfect 'next-door' type of girl, who was respected and loved by the man Jo had loved for a long time.

The time came when Lisa's neighbours – Naomi, Jessica and Ashley came around to sit down and chat with Lisa. They were just as pretty as Lisa and even more.

"Look, I should really go..." Jo said to Lisa quietly.

"Are you sure?"

Jo was pretty sure.

Lisa parted from her friends and went down the hall. Jo was getting her jacket from the seat when she heard the front door slam open and noises came down the hall.

"Dean-" Lisa started.

Jo froze.

She couldn't stand to turn around and look but his voice sounded like she had always remembered it. Over the bickering of Lisa's three friends on the lounge next to her, Jo could hear him loud and clearly.

"Is she here?" The door slammed shut.

"Why are you panting?"

"I ran." Then. "Is she here?"

"Dean – what –," Lisa replied. "Who are you talking about?"

"Jo? Is Jo here?" he replied impatiently.

"Yes, but –"

Jo's heart was pounding. She took one moment to calm herself and she turned around.

There was a flurry of footsteps and Dean stormed into the kitchen with Lisa clutching his arm.

Jo couldn't help but to smile. "Hey, Dean."

It was like time stood still. He looked exactly like she had remembered. More stubble on his face though, but his eyes were still that smouldering green. Perfect, lucid and his. There was her Dean, standing there looking as if he was dreaming.

He ignored the stares from the four women in the room. Jo's heart faltered as he took three large strides up to her, his face completely blank and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

It was like she was thrown completely into Dean. She pressed her face into the contours of his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She breathed in the alcohol and the musk, feeling his warmth spread over where he touched her. Jo squeezed her eyes together, trying to hold back the tears.

"Are you real?" Dean whispered, feeling the stubble scratch her cheek.

Jo chuckled into his shirt. "No chick flick moments, Dean."

But then the moment was over and Jo was thrown back into the real world where Lisa and her friends were staring at them. Jo quickly pulled herself away from Dean and ran her fingers through her hair. Dean watched her, his arms still open, considering if he really wanted her to let go.

Jo grabbed her jacket hurriedly and went around Dean.

But he grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?" he asked, his eyes pleading. _They only just met, she can't go._

Jo gave an uneasy laugh, shaking him off. "I've – I've got to go. I'm sorry Dean."

Lisa with her arms folded across her chest looked more unimpressed that her friends. Jo ducked past her and almost ran out the door.

Because, this was the real world where she and Dean can't be together. He had a family after all, and no matter what his feelings were for her, he had a woman and a boy to go home to at night. A responsibility, a _life._

Jo had to get out before she ruined any of it. Lisa deserved him. She should be proud to have someone like Dean.

Jo ran down the street in the hot afternoon sun. Away from the pretty picture and Dean and his life.

She had to find Crowley and stop this deal from happening.


	7. Seven

**AN: Please R/R! :) it will make my day.**

* * *

I know that we are young.  
And I know you may love me.  
But I just can't be with you like this anymore.  
Alejandro.

She's got both hands  
in her pockets.  
And she won't look at you,  
Won't look at you.

_Alejandro – Lady Gaga_

* * *

Jo walked back into the motel she was staying at and collapsed on the bed.

She was pretty sure that Dean didn't see which direction she went to, but then again, Dean always surprised.

Like how he surprised her that he had a family now.

Jo grabbed a pillow and shoved it in her face. Then she cursed Dean with every name she could think of until she couldn't breathe. She took her face out of the pillow and gulped for air.

Crowley stared at her with one eyebrow raised.

Jo felt her face redden and she threw the pillow back like it was made of acid.

"Explain..." Crowley began to talk when he felt it was safe enough. "What you were doing?"

Jo ignored the demon and stood up. "You lied," Jo accused.

Crowley didn't seem to careless, he was picking something out of his teeth. When he was done, Crowley looked up. "I had some Panini stuck in my teeth," he explained. Jo didn't smile. Her hand twitched for her knife. Crowley caught the notion. "Oh, about Dean living with another woman?"

Jo felt red hot tears sting her eyes. "How _could_ you?"

"Sweet heart, look at me," Crowley scoffed. "I'm a demon. I had to say something for you to say yes. Well, not say something."

Jo was fuming. She barked a laugh. "I can't believe this... I absolutely can't believe it," she stared at him. "This deal is off."

She wanted to get away from Crowley. She grabbed her jacket and ripped open the door.

"You know you're decision will kill Dean," Crowley called calmly after her. "Literally kill him."

Jo stopped her hand on the handle. When she turned, Crowley was looking intently at her, his smile gone.

"I'm not lying," Crowley said, he counted off with his fingers. "See, if you decide to call quits, Dean gets... let's see 5, 6, 7 weeks before he meets up with a demon. And this time when he goes into the pit – there's no way in hell he's coming back out."

The words slowly sunk into Jo's brain. Crowley seemed to be saying the truth... but then again. Jo lifted her head higher, "Dean's stronger than that."

"Is he?"

Crowley walked up to her and stood before her. "Dean Winchester needs to hunt," he said, almost like an order.

Jo didn't move. "I won't let him sacrifice the life he has with Lisa," she said just as demanding as Crowley. She shook her head, "I made a mistake going there today," she muttered.

Crowley looked almost as depressed as Jo. "Well, if Dean Winchester won't do what he's meant to do..." He slipped his hand into his jacket and pulled out a cigarette. "Then you will take the case I was going to give him."

"How did you know something was here?" Jo asked, almost rudely.

Crowley looked at her as if she was crazy. "I'm not just a pretty face," he said. "I did my research while you were playing happy families. Besides, this will get your mind away from Dean and Lisa."

With that thought in mind, Jo straightened her back. "What is it?"

"Kids have been going missing in the woods around here," Crowley told her, lighting his cigarette. "There's an old hunter's house in the location where they were last seen. Obviously the police – those pigs – missed it."

"What? You think it's a Wendigo or something?" She had never dealt with those before.

"I checked the area and found sulfur," Crowley said, watching her through the smoke. He grinned around the cigarette. "Can't be too hard for you? To handle a couple of demons on your own?"


	8. Eight

**AN: Did you know is an actual real site the producers of the show made up? LOOOOL Sorry for the quick update - it's kindda rushed :s**

* * *

Go ahead and burn it down

I'm drunk and so is everyone else

In this devil town

Won't let me turn around

to get one more look at my baby

Well, she's still around

She's still around.

_Still Around - 3Oh!3_

* * *

Dean couldn't stop thinking about her.

He had sleepless nights, tossing and turning in Lisa's bed with the uncontrollable urge to find where she was. He wanted to know what she was thinking, where she was, if she was safe. It was driving Dean Winchester crazy.

Dean had followed Jo out to the front of the house to confide with her, but she had broken into a run with no intention of looking back at him. He knew that Jo would still be in town, but for how long and where she was staying was the finer detail that almost killed him.

He had argued with Lisa, the first time he had done so in months, that ended up with them sleeping in different rooms for three nights in a row. He knew that his actions with Jo would be the talk of the neighbourhood with Lisa's three friends shown as proof. There was nothing Dean could do to try and make mends with her, as she demanded every time he tried - "what other women have you been with?"

He couldn't concentrate at the Garage, and every time he was out in the street, he was always glancing around, half hoping she was walking across the road. And every time he saw a blonde girl walk past he would follow them until he realised it wasn't Jo.

Dean couldn't stop it, it was turning into something much larger.

He prayed to God to see her again, even if it was just to see her alive and well. But he was dying to talk to her as well.

But Dean wasn't stupid. Jo just didn't appear out of thin air with no apparent reason. This was big magic - top of the line and either a demon or angel was in charge of it.

And he felt the undying feeling of loss as he spent those three empty days thinking nothing but her and realised how it felt to have a love one come home again. The old Dean would just say the dead should stay dead.

But Jo... he couldn't manage to lose her again. Before he could see her one more time.

They had skipped the last Parent/Teacher Night for two weeks in a row and Lisa thought it was time to go.

Dean had never experienced one of these things before. It took almost all of Lisa's strength to push him through the doors.

"It's just for an hour," she muttered, coaxing. "You don't have to listen - I'll just ask the questions."

When they both stepped in the small classroom, Dean tried to act as normal as he could. He took his seat in the circle next to Lisa, feeling more in an Intervention than anything else. Mr. Logan began to proceed the meeting.

"My name is Mr. Logan and welcome to the Parent/Teacher Night for Term 1," he smiled, clapping his hands. The parents clapped enthusiastically. Dean gave a clap.

"Now I have to go through a few things to talk about before we get into the real work," he explained. "And talking about where your child is at in their educational level."

A few glances between parents. Lisa sat up a little.

Mr. Logan took off his glasses and gave a sad face. "Unfortunately, as you may have heard on the local news, that Simone and Daniel Greg's son, Mike, has gone missing a few days ago, and we as a school are devastated. Let us have a quiet moment together."

Dean watched all the parents look down sadly at the ground. Lisa poked him, reminding him to be respectful, as she bowed her head. Dean tipped his head down.

"Right!" Logan pronounced, startling everyone. "Let's get to business. Fill free to walk into the classrooms where your child works in and have a chat to the teacher. Food will be provided once the 45 minutes has finished."

Everyone began to proceed to their child's classrooms down the hall. Dean and Lisa went into 5H where Miss Hertie was finishing a chat with some other parents. Dean glanced around the classroom from the blackboard to the paper mache masks hanging from string above them.

Lisa began to chat with the teacher when Dean saw something strange. He walked to one of the poster's at the back of the classroom. It was a child's drawing, with scraggly dark lines. There were trees drawn around the sides of the page with a face in the middle. The eyes were coloured darkly black.

"Who's drawing was this?" Dean interrupted the two women. He pointed at the picture.

Miss Hertie smiled sadly, "that was Mike Greg's drawing. He put that up last week when we had arts and craft. In fact," Miss Hertie continued, "your son Ben and him were close in class."

Lisa was pleased but bittersweet. She glanced at Dean and frowned, "Ben never told us about Mike."

Miss Hertie smiled sadly, "yes, well, those two complimented each other. It was if they knew each other from the start."

Dean plucked the picture from the wall. "Is it alright that Ben could have this? I mean, after losing a friend and all - this would probably comfort him."

But Miss Hertie saw no comfort in the picture. She looked nervous. "Of course you can."

"Where was Mike last seen?" Dean asked. "His parents must be devastated."

Miss Hertie nodded. "He was with a couple of his friends just down the bike track near the woods - it's a popluar area for families to go to. But lately, things have changed. Hardly anyone goes there anymore."

"How come?" Lisa asked.

"Children go missing there all the time," Miss Hertie said. "It's absolutely horrible. None of them are found at all - it's just as if they vanish into thin air."

"Where do the Greg's live?" Dean asked. "So we can send our sympathy card."

"Of course," she said, grabbing a piece of paper and scralling an address on there. "They're good people. They don't deserve this," Miss Hertie continued sadly.

Dean and Lisa thanked her and walked out of the room. Dean gave one last look at the picture before folding it and putting it into his pocket.

The face the child had drawn was Sam.


	9. Nine

**AN: Agent Henrrickson is my favourite kick-ass-in-your-face cop :D**

* * *

"Let me out of here, you jackass!"

It had been almost four hours since she was arrested.

Jo pressed her face against the iron bars of the small inclosure. It was almost nightfall and she wasn't willing to stay the night at the station.

"Shut up," one of the police moaned at her for the hundredth time.

Jo was fuming. "Is this how you treat everyone who comes in for questioning?"

There was no answer. She kicked the bars.

A police officer with short blond hair and dark eyes hit the bars back at her just as loudly. Jo took her hands away and stood back, watching him warily.

"I told you to _shut up_," he glared. "You wouldn't have been locked up if you didn't assault an officer, girl."

Jo crossed her arms and saw the officer looking at her.

"What?" she fumed, feeling figity. They had done a frisk search and stripped her of her knife and blade.

The officer just chuckled, jeering to the guys out the front, "hey boys, looks like we got a hot one tonight!"

Jo shook her head, the cop leant on the wall looking at you. "So who you living with?"

Jo had an idea. She doubt Crowley would help her in a situation like this, "call Lisa. Lisa Breaden - she's my... cousin."

The officer chuckled. "Hey, Chuck, see if that's legit."

The door open and Jo heard footsteps. The officer backed away from the bars, immediately business like, "Good evening, sir!"

An FBI agent glanced woefully at the man. "Open it and send her into the room."

"Look, I didn't do anything!" Jo called out.

The FBI agent didn't care. They moved Jo out of the cell and into a smaller room with a table and two chairs. One of the walls was a glass wall. Jo glared at it and sat down.

The FBI agent - a man in his fifties sat down on the other chair.

He looked at the file he had in his hands.

"You know how long I've been in this workforce?" he asked her.

Jo shrugged, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Twenty nine years," he answered for her. "And you know what that means?"

She wasn't bothered.

He looked right at her, unwavering. "It means that I know the difference between the guilty and the innocent and it gives me the power to send who ever I want to jail. For life."

Jo didn't move.

"So, Joanna Beth Harvelle," he went on. "Tell me what you were doing when that building exploded killing all those people? And how you managed to escape."

She frowned. "How did you know that?"

His eyes narrowed. "I know a lot of things about you. And your parents. You see, your father was a marine and your mother looked after a saloon, dealing with creeps like your daddy. I know that you went to university and dropped out because you almost killed a student and I know that the motel room your staying at is covered with infomation about all the victims that had gone missing in the woods around this area. I know a whole lot about you than you would like."

"Then you would know that I didn't do any of that stuff," Jo said.

He leaned in. "Then why are all those people dead - including your mother? Why would you kill your own family?"

"I didn't kill her!" she shouted, breaking. "My mom died to save me! That building was on fire - one of the cans had exploded and she got me out of ther before anything happened!"

He looked at her hard. "So why did you kill her?"

Jo fell back onto the seat, shaking her head. It was no use shouting - it only made her look more crazy. "I didn't kill her, you have to believe me," she pleaded. "I might have not come from the perfect family, but we're not killers. We're anything but that. My dad died when I was in piggy tales but my mum seemed pretty cut up about it. But we never did anything to hurt people. I swear."

"That doesn't go with your criminal record," he said. "Looking at this, credit card theft, breaking and entering, possible accessory of three homicides and destorying the interior of a hotel wall."

She shook her head. "Please, I didn't do it to hurt any body."

"I know," he replied.

Jo was confused. He continued, "see the eyewitnesses to all of it swear that you had saved them. See, and this is where it gets complicated."

Jo looked away nervously. The agent closed her folder. "I'm letting you go."

"What?" she stared at him, confused.

"Even though in a case so serious like this, we have no hard evidence that it was you that did that," he explained. "However, concluding that the eyewitnesses believe you were there and saved their lives - I want you to consider how lucky you are in this instance."

He got up and opened the door for her.

"But this doesn't mean I'm not watching you," he said, eyeing her. "I'm gonna be watching you like a hawk with lazer vision. You won't be able to go anywhere that I won't know about - that I won't hear or see about. You understand?"

Jo nodded. "Of course."

Before the agent could act, the same police officer came down the hall, sheperding Jo to the front of the station. "Some one's here to pick you up," he said, before opening the door for her. "Your lucky, other wise you'd be staying an all nighter here."

Jo didn't care how lucky she was tonight. The officer handed her bag to Jo as she walked into the front room, happily to get out of the station.

But she stopped, because someone was waiting for her, standing up by the door with an unimpressed look on their face.

"So," Dean asked cooly. "Want to explain this in the car?"


	10. Ten

**AN: We've hit the 30's! Thanks guys for R/R'ing to the story – definitely wouldn't have happened if you guys didn't comment so a BIG pat on the back :) By the way, internet keeps failing if you want to know why I'm taking such a long time uploading the chapters :s**

* * *

I said the joker is a wanted man,  
He makes his way all across the land,  
See him sifting through the sand,

So I'll tell you all the story,  
About the joker and the thief of the night,

Always laughing in the midst of power,  
Always living in the final hour,  
There is always sweet in the sour,

We are not goin' home,

Can you see the joker flying over,  
As she's standing in the field of clover,  
Watching out everyday?  
I wonder what would happen if he took her away?

_Joker and the Theif - Wolfmother_

* * *

She knew it was going to be a long drive.

They had been driving for the longest twenty minutes Jo had ever experienced without looking or saying a word to each other. It was clear that Dean was furious, but as they drove, the storm began to pass.

Jo couldn't stand the silence anymore and broke her rule at not talking first, "where are we heading?"

"We're going for a drive."

Jo knew she wasn't getting out of this conversation just yet. She looked out the sedan window to the dark blur of the streets surrounding them.

Dean was trying to act as calm as possible. "What did you get done for?"

"They thought I wasn't _Joanna Beth Harvelle_ when I tried to get money out from my account," she answered, looking out the window blankly. "So they called the cops."

"What, the infamous Jo doesn't quick talk her way out of it?" he replied coolly. Jo wasn't sure if he was teasing her or paying her out.

She shrugged nether less; she wasn't going to stay in the car very long. She would get him to drop her off to some bar and she would phone Crowley.

They were so close in the car that Jo could feel his hand brush against her leg when he changed gears and the lucid warmth would spread throughout her body. Her breath caught and she shifted her leg when Dean wasn't looking.

"Where am I dropping you?" he asked monotonously. He scanned the buildings in front of them.

"I was staying at the Palm Resort," Jo replied. "But I can't go back."

Dean looked at her for the first time. A chill went down her spine. "You were staying in _that_ motel?"

Jo replied defensively, "I can stay in any motel I want to."

_She's got to be joking. _He chuckled, annoyed. "I could've shown you a better place to stay at."

"Oh, and this is coming from the infamous Dean Winchester is it?" Jo replied.

"Do you even know what happens in those types of motels?" Dean asked her, watching her reaction. Jo kept her face completely blank.

"I'm not a kid, Dean. I can look after myself."

"Right," he rolled his eyes. "You made a great job getting the cops on your ass."

Jo glared at him. "What's your problem? I can look after myself perfectly fine, you know. The only mistake I made was seeing you."

"_My_ problem?" Dean said, returning the glare. "I don't have a problem."

"Yes," she accused him. "You do."

"Jo, I don't give a damn if you sleep in a motel like that," he snapped. "I don't give a damn if you live in a trailer park. What I do care about is that you think you can just walk around as if nothing happened and do whatever the hell you want. Whenever you want and with who-ever you want."

She turned fully in her seat. "Who are you? My mother?"

"If Ellen was alive," Dean replied, his voice getting louder. "She'd be doing the same thing right now. You don't understand do you? You've been missing for a year and a half and you prance around like nothings gone wrong. Then _you_ rock up on my doorstep and you're telling me that _I_ have a problem? You just too damn naive."

Jo looked out the window, unable to say a thing. Dean had hurt her and she couldn't be bothered fighting anymore. "Stop the car."

"What?" Dean thought she was crazy. "No."

"I _said_ stop the car."

Dean pulled over, but didn't unlock her door.

"Jo," he said, more quietly. "C'mon, where do you think you're gonna go?"

"I don't know," Jo replied. "I don't care."

"I care," he said slowly, watching her. Jo stared for a moment too long and blushed.

"Well it's obvious that I'm the problem, Dean," Jo replied unbuckling herself. "So its gonna be one less problem to worry about. I'm out of your way. Have a happy life with Lisa."

Dean took her wrist. When Jo turned around to tell him to back off, his face was so close that she momentarily forgot what she was doing.

"I didn't mean it that way," he said slowly. "You're not my problem Jo. Hell, look, I just – just don't wanna see you get hurt that's all."

He looked away, chagrined.

Jo didn't know whether to leave or not, but Dean still wanted to look out for her no matter what.

"It's just you only came back, you know?" Dean mumbled on, looking away. "Hell, I haven't even talked to you and you've been so distant – I just..."

"Dean, if that's what you were trying to get at, you didn't have to blast me."

He gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Yeah, well, it's been a while since I've done anything close to what I did tonight. I gotta get used to this."

He gave her a sad smile and finally said, "It's good to see you, Jo Harvelle."

His hand slipped up her arm and his thumb grazed her bottom lip. Jo closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, feeling the warm, rough skin. "I missed you, Dean."

"Mmm," he murmured, as their foreheads touched. Jo hitched up a notch, and ran her fingers through his short, tousled hair. Dean leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers.

The shrill ring of a phone interrupted them both, and Dean pulled away, fishing out a pink phone from his pocket and answering it. It was Lisa, and she was worried about what Ben had told her. Dean told her to wait and he was coming back home straight away.

"Jo, come with me," he asked quietly, holding the phone to his chest so Lisa couldn't hear him. "We have a spare room at the house and you can stay there with us."

Jo looked down, thinking only of Lisa. "Dean, I don't know. How would Lisa feel?"

Dean looked down, calculating. "I'll just say your staying with us for a couple of weeks until I figure something out with Bobby."

"Dean, I feel like I'm intruding-"

"Don't," Dean told her. "Please just stay. It's gonna give me peace of mind until I know your with Bobby."

Jo sighed, feeling guilty and nodded. Dean talked to Lisa about it, explaining what he had just said to Jo and hung up.

He gave her a Winchester smile. "She said you can stay in the other room for as long as you need to."

Jo smiled. "I think she's bedazzled by your Winchester Charm."

Dean chuckled. "Have I dazzled _you_?"

Jo couldn't help smiling. _It felt so good to smile._ "Dean Winchester, you've grown too soft."


	11. Eleven

**AN: Sorry about the long update! I've been planning on putting the chapter out sooner but I've been busy with work and my portfolio :s... Anyways 40+ Reviews! Wow! Keep R and R'ing and I'll be back with more :)**

* * *

You don't wanna hurt me,  
But see how deep the bullet lies.  
Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder.  
There's a thunder in our hearts, baby.  
So much hate for the ones we love?  
Tell me, we both matter, don't we?

_Running Up That Hill - Placebo_

* * *

The light trickled in through the window to the foot of Jo's bed. She was sleeping in, for the first time since she could remember. Her dreams were hazed, of luke-warm colours and blurred figures. It was as if she was dreaming someone else's dream, and was enjoying it quite a lot.

The light crept up the sheets, until it was warmly lying on her cheek. Jo frowned, feeling her muscles ache and tense in discomfort. She groaned and pulled the covers over her head to try and block the sun out.

She heard the door of her room open and slow footsteps being taken to her bed. It was obvious that whoever was entering the room believed she was still asleep. Jo tensed, her body seeming suddenly alert after the long sleep and hunted silently for the knife under her pillow.

But she felt them sit down on the bed next to her and she felt the weight pressing up against the inside of her thighs. She sighed, displeased at how nice the feeling of the casual closeness was and reluctantly pulled the sheets down.

There was Dean, sitting beside her and watching her wake up. He gave her a smile, and if Jo lifted her arm, her hand would caress the stubble around his jaw.

But Jo was too shy, and she withdrew the thought to the back of her mind.

"What time is it?" she asked, propping herself on her elbows and rubbing her eyes. She noticed there was no clock in the room.

"It's two in the afternoon," Dean replied, rubbing his jaw and looking out the window. He then turned to her and smiled. "Thought you wanted to sleep in."

"Geez, turning into a big softie, aren't you?" she teased, sitting up right against the pillows. She rested the side of her thigh against his lower back, feeling the warmth through the sheets. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Dean chuckled. "I tried to; it was like trying to wake up a bear in hibernation."

His eyes seemed to golden in the afternoon light, casting a bronze glow around his face. Jo seemed to lose her focus again and looked away.

Dean noticed her expression. "Lisa's at work and Ben's at school. I'm on my break, so I came home to see you."

Jo looked down, blushing. "Well, I'm doing alright so far. I've slept in almost the entire day, right?"

She noticed the bags under his eyes and frowned again. "You need a couple hours yourself, Dean."

"I'm fine," he replied, the male bravado appearing. He shrugged. "It's no big deal."

Jo smiled, drawing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She rested her head on the top of the blanket and closed her eyes. "Isn't it nice?"

"Depends on what you're calling nice."

Jo chuckled. "The sun, the quiet," she explained, drawing in a deep breath and opening her eyes to him. "I missed that."

"I thought that's what it was like in Heaven," Dean replied cautiously. "That's where you ended up, right?"

In the back of her mind, she knew somewhere that she _did _have an after life. But Crowley had wiped it out of her mind for some reason and Jo didn't understand why. She could've gone to Hell, or she could've still been wandering around like some ghost trying to believe their still alive. But either of those options would tear Dean apart - and the after life was a touchy subject for both. "Of course," she said. "But it never seemed real, y'know? But this... this is real."

He gave a deep smile, now withholding some type of inner peace. "That's good to hear you were alright."

Jo nodded, then said, "does that feel the same to you?"

Dean nodded, lying down on the blanket. He stretched out, his shirt moving up past his belt. "I've never really thought of it."

His legs and torso were oozed in summer light and Jo couldn't help but to smile as his eyes closed momentarily.

"Falling asleep are you there, Lotso?" Jo said, nudging him under the blanket with her foot. Dean's eyes opened and he placed his arm over his eyes. "I would if you stop poking me, Big Foot."

"I have lady feet," Jo remarked, nudging him again. "And you have to get back to work."

"Five minutes," he murmured. "Five..."

He was already snoozing.

"Wow, you really were tired, big fella," Jo muttered as Dean lied sprawled at the end of her bed. It was a comfort to see him sleeping before her.

Jo lied down beside him, making sure none of her body was touching his and let her eyes wander over his body. She watched how his chest rose and fell, and how the light casted specks of golden brown in his hair. She followed the contours of his arms and counted the buttons on his shirt. _10._ And how his face looks more relaxed in his sleep than she had even seen Dean before.

She was in love with him that was for sure. What she wasn't sure was how much – she knew that she cared for him deeply, but would it be something to be crazy for? For someone who already has a future with someone else?

She wondered if this was the Dean Lisa woke up to every morning and how long she would be there, looking at him like it was the last time she might see him again. Jo looked away, her heart throbbing. Lisa was lucky to have a man like Dean Winchester by her side.

Dean was willing to have a future with someone like Lisa, not someone like Jo. In her eyes, she always thought she was a freak, a little twisted to be a hunter, a kid. Dean had referred her as a kid on many occasions, on many hunts and Sam would know she was upset and try to comfort her. _It was something little. Someone calling one another names. Just what kids do when they were angry._

When Jo composed herself, Dean had fallen into a deep sleep. His arm slipped off his face and the disturbance caused him to shift and roll over. Jo almost shouted, feeling half his body roll on top of her. She wasn't sure to be angry or to go with it. _He was snuggling into her._

"Dean," Jo breathed onto his neck. His arm was flopped over her and legs caught in the sheets. He grumbled something and she wasn't sure if it was sleep talk.

He smelt like earth and musk with a hint of alcohol. Jo frowned. "Dean. C'mon."

He grumbled louder. "It's not even five..."

"I can't breathe, Dean."

There was a pause and then he slowly detached himself from her, stretching. "I feel like shit," he accused her, yawning.

"You wouldn't feel crap if you didn't drink," Jo hinted, drawing into herself again. She made Dean turn around so she could change. She slipped into her jeans and wrestled her hair in a pony tail. The happy mood was over.

Dean slowly got up, realising what was happening. And it was happening too fast that his head was spinning. "Jo, look I know it looks bad, but I can explain."

"I can smell the beer from here. No need to explain."

"I'm sober, I promise you."

"Not the point!" Jo said, twirling around. "God, Dean!"

She whizzed around and grabbed her phone and jacket. "Don't you realise, it's not whether you're drunk or not, but why you drink before you see me?"

"Maybe 'coz I like beer?"

"I've smelt it on you every time."

"What? A man can't get a beer around here without being judged?" Dean said sarcastically, getting to his feet. "It was a couple. Big deal, Jo. Actually, I should call you "Big Deal Jo" because you seem to make a big deal over everything I do."

Jo shook her head. "This has nothing to do with me."

"Well, you're blowing it out of proportion, BDJ."

"Do you drink before you see me?" Jo asked, looking straight at him.

Dean was slightly stunned. "What? No."

"Dean, c'mon, I used to look after a saloon. I know the male ideology of alcohol."

"I was on my break and was thirsty. I don't like water."

"Do I make you nervous?"

Dean had enough. "Alright, none of this phycological bull crap. You want to know why I drink? Fine. I'll tell you. I drink because it makes me feel like I still have a part of me left inside somewhere. The old me. To tell you the truth, I drink because it makes me more relaxed and lets me calm down. I think about a lot of things, Jo and you are one of them," he said, squaring at her. "Hell, I have been feeling crap ever since I stopped hunting. Drinking makes me calm, so yeah. That's why I drink."

Jo looked down. "I... didn't know it was like that."

He looked embarrassed. "You know, just before that was the first time since I could remember that I was talking to you Jo," Dean said. "And I had missed it like hell when you were gone."

"We talk all the time."

"Not like before," he replied. "You weren't arguing, or complaining so. You were actually having a conversation with me."

_She could see the sadness. The loss. He was suffering inside. Blaming himself._

He looked at her with such intensity that Jo felt weak in the knees. Her heart was thrumming in her chest. Before she knew it, she strode up to him and pressed her lips against his. He was surprised, but quickly followed her lead, his hands cradling her hips and pushing her into him. Their kiss was small and innocent – _just one to stop him from feeling guilty._ His large hands squeezed her waist and his breath was hot and heavy. She groaned – feeling him cradle her and that tiny noise sent Dean into a frenzy.

He pressed her back against the window, his mouth on hers in ways she never experienced. His hands slid up under her singlet, his fingers _all_ over her skin, biting, feeling, _wanting._ And Jo wanted to give him anything – anything he asked for anything he wished, because she was all his and he was all hers for that moment. And his mouth trailed down her neck, as she tried to be as quiet as she could – knowing she was never really good at anything like this –

"Dean..." she panted and then he was kissing her mouth again, leaving her sentence hanging. _Oh, he's good._ She waited until he let her go, but his hands did something just below her stomach and she gasped out loud, feeling the lucid warmth spread throughout her limbs.

"Dean...c'mon..."

"Sorry," he replied, out of breath. "I get a little carried away."

He kissed her again, calming down. "God dammit Jo..."

She stroked his face, feeling the stubble scratch her cheek and as much as she wanted this to go on – she couldn't. "You have to go back to work and I have jobs to do."

"Jobs?" he echoed, curious.

"Yes, _jobs. _To get some clothes and to earn an income," Jo replied chuckling. "Jobs, Dean. Real people jobs."

He groaned, deep and throaty. "I don't want you to be normal."

She kissed his neck and he shivered happily. "Yes, I do. To help out around here."

Dean had finally let go and looked her over. "I don't know what I'll do when you're gone at Bobby's."

"Have a civilised life with Lisa?"

His mood changed and her frowned, already exasperated. "Jo, come on..."

She smiled and kissed him once more. "Uh, uh. No more. I need to go shopping in a happy mood."

**AN: HOPED YOU LIKED IT :D**


	12. Twelve

**AN: So how's everybody doing? Couldn't help myself to make a little love love between Dean and Jo - I just couldn't help it - It had to be done in the start of the story - so whoever doesn't like it - poo you!**

**D: Running out of songs to put on here! Any people have song suggestions? :)**

* * *

It's not even light out,  
But you've somewhere to be  
No hesitation  
No I've never seen you like this,  
And I don't like it  
I don't like it  
I don't like it at all

_The Moment I Said It – Imogen Heap_

* * *

Dean had dropped her off down the street even though he really didn't want to. But things had to be done and Jo had to be careful around Dean... as much as she didn't like keeping secrets from him.

"What are you getting?" Dean has asked her. Jo doubted he wanted to go shopping.

"Just... stuff," she replied, unbuckling herself.

It took a moment for him to register. "Oh... '_stuff_'."

She laughed at his face he pulled. "No, Dean, not that sort of stuff. I mean clothes."

"What's wrong with the ones you're wearing?"

"Maybe because I _only_ have these ones to wear."

He thought for a moment. "You can borrow some of Lisa's."

"Mmm..." Jo would feel uncomfortable wearing Lisa's clothes. "I'll pass."

Dean fished out his wallet and pulled out a wad of notes. "Have it."

Jo looked incredulously at the money. "Dean. I – I can't. I won't take it."

"I don't need it," he replied with a full-on poker face.

"Yeah, right," Jo rolled her eyes. "Keep it; I've got my own ways."

He cocked his head and waited until she got out of the car when the passenger window rolled down. "You're coming back, right?" he called after her.

She ducked her head in. "I'll see you soon. I promise."

She didn't know what those words would mean to him, but at her end, they meant a lot to her. Dean didn't compose his face in time for Jo to see those flashes of emotions – surprise, hurt, and something else she couldn't quite tell. He had looked away, all too quickly. "Right, I'll see you later."

"Okay."

When the car had disappeared around the corner and Jo had made sure that Dean was out of sight – she turned away from the stores and headed towards the library where she spent the last three hours researching about the victims in the area that had gone missing in the woods. When she was done, she printed out the sheets and marked out the key notes, scrawling her own thoughts and theoretical connections between all of them. When she was done, she put all the papers in a paper bag and headed out to buy something quickly.

It was just beginning to darken when Jo crossed the road and bought herself a few quick shirts and pants when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

"What?" she said, annoyed already.

"Heard you got a little hot and heavy with Romeo," chuckled a voice from the other end.

She turned around, the paper bag concealed in one of her shopping bags. She was heading back to Lisa's house. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"I wasn't the one rolling in it," Crowley replied.

Jo got angry. "Don't you dare speak about Dean like that!"

"Touchy," he said. "Anyway, sweet heart, I've got a proclamation."

"What is it?"

Crowley appeared right before her, already putting the phone away. Jo stopped and took her phone down too. He smiled at her, a little too chuffed. "The dealer has a change of plans."

Jo was sceptical. "I'm not going anywhere with a demon."

"Look at you, all defensive again," he smirked. "But you don't have a choice, love."

Jo's hands tightened around the strings of the bags. "You can say what you want right here."

Crowley looked at her intently, trying to figure another way. But it was obviously going to make Jo take up a big fuss that he gave up. He shrugged.

"Fine," he replied, dryly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'll tell you the news. The hunt your on is being sabotaged by other hunters. If you get in the cross fire, you'll get hurt and they don't want you to get hurt."

Jo barked a laugh. "What? No way. I'm not gonna get scared off by a couple of hunters. This was my hunt. I'm not backing out."

"You're valuable to the dealer, you don't have a choice but to stop what you're doing."

"And who died and made you queen?" she demanded. "Crowley – you gave this to me. People are in danger by what's in the woods. I have to stop it."

"It was after all, Dean's ideal hunt. Not yours."

Jo felt the sting of rejection and for a moment she wanted to smash him in the face. "Yeah, and you gave it to me."

Crowley looked at her for a long second and sighed tiredly. "Fine. You're completely moronic and crazy – but if you insist that you want to get hurt, then do so."

Her eyes narrowed. "Anything else you want to add?"

They began to walk. Crowley dawdled beside her, adding sarcastically, "is there anything else you want from me? Rock salt? Spell books? Seemingly as you made your little rendezvous with the human police...and got them to see all that. "

"Yeah, well," Jo huffed. "I'm sure you'll manage."

"I can't lend you things if you intend to be clumsy."

They could've been arguing about this for a while and Jo didn't want to start another arguement with him. He was persistent, yes. Helpful: no.

Jo stopped and turned to him. "This isn't why you wanted to meet me, was it?"

Crowley raised an eyebrow. "Beg your pardon?"

"I'm not falling for your crap. Hunters? It doesn't make sense. Why are you here?"

Crowley's eyes turned into slits. "You _want _to know why?"

Jo really did appreciate an explanation, and coming from this demon – she wanted to hear the best it could make. "Yes. Why."

"It's because I have to keep you on track," Crowley reminded her, giving a sideways cat-like glance. "I have to make sure that you don't do _anything_ reckless that will harm you or Dean."

"Why do you care?" Jo demanded. So far nothing seemed to be threatening Dean or Lisa or anyone, except the hunt which Jo had never mentioned to Dean.

"_I_," he emphasised the word. "Don't. _They_ do."

"The mysterious dealer? Yeah, I'm sure sending me on a hunt or start Dean hunting again is nothing _life_ _threatening."_

Crowley grabbed her and Jo was so surprised that the bag had slipped through her fingers. His face was inches away from hers and his eyes burned into her skull. His face was suddenly frightening, with no hint of enjoyment or sarcasm.

His grip tightened and she gasped, feeling his heavy breath spill across her mouth. She repulsed that and tried to tug away, but the demon wouldn't have it.

"One touch," he murmured darkly, his face inches away. "One little kiss and I can send you down to Hell for eternity – do you HEAR ME?"

His eyes were completely black, soulless and frightening. Jo didn't know how to react, knowing the knife hidden in her boot was too far away. Crowley took a moment to get himself back together. His eyes flickered back to their human form and he immediately let go of her.

"You _will_ do what you have to do, or so be it, Dean and you will die."

* * *

**OKAY PEOPLES! Next chapter is going to be interesting - Ben will catch Dean and Jo... doing what? Lol, quiz time!**


	13. Thirteen

**AN: 50+ Reviews! You guys! :D**

**Thanks to Deansgirlisjo for the songs! Great to hear that feedback.**

**Keep up the awesome work!**

* * *

Out of gas, so you walk for miles  
To pick me up in your worn out shoes  
You never settle, never take too much  
You count on me just like I count on you  
Kiss me like when I first saw you  
Figured out couldn't be without you

_If I Can't Have You - Kelly Clarkson_

* * *

Jo was talking to Crowley on the phone the next day, thinking she was alone in the house. When she walked to the back porch, she saw Dean through the window lazing on the sofa with a beer in his hand, deep in thought.

She closed the phone and put it in her pocket. Dean glanced up when the roller door slid open and Jo stepped out. He took a swig of his beer and glared at the sunlight. "Who was that?"

"Trying to get a job," she murmured. Which was half true – she did have a job. A hunt. "Guy says that I can come in on Thursday."

He seemed momentarily quiet. "Huh." Another drink.

She watched the restless look from him as he gazed at the bottle. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "I'm over it. I don't care. You like beer."

Dean chuckled. "Right." He was quiet again.

"You're gonna bust you're brain with all that thinking," Jo said.

"There a lot of things to consider," he replied, looking over at her.

Jo flumped on the couch next to him.

Dean looked at the bottle in his hands and chuckled. "So where is this 'job'?"

"At a bar," she smiled. "Back to the good old days. Hustling pool, playing poker with people who think their ego is twice as large as the cash they have in their wallet." That wasn't a complete lie either. She had thought that earning extra cash couldn't hurt.

"You think it's gonna be different with your mom not around?"

Her breath caught and she gazed down at her lap. A wave of emotion flooded through her. "Of course. But I mean, you gotta move on, you know? Do the things you love, that make you who you are. You don't just give up everything, right? That's like..." she steadied her breathing and glanced over to him. "...lying to yourself."

Dean's expression hardened and Jo brushed her hand against his. "Dean... I didn't mean it that way. I'm..."

He let her fingers touch his hand for a moment until he pulled away. "Don't say you're sorry."

She bit her lip. "Then what do you want me to say?"

He looked at her for a long moment, deciding what to say. Dean wanted to tell her he felt as if he was lying to himself. Lying to Sammy. But couldn't. His eyes trailed to her lips and he remembered what they had tasted like. All his anger turned to desire and he had to stop himself. "Nothing," he grunted.

The indoor light went on and footsteps and voices were heard inside. Jo immediately stood up, distancing herself from Dean as a young boy bounced out, his backpack on and the biggest smile on his flushed face.

"Dean!" Ben said, grinning. "Dude, you have no idea what I just did today!"

"What happened?"

"I got a girlfriend!" he said and both boys smacked a hi-five. Jo laughed and met Lisa's gaze hovering at the back door.

"I think they need alone time," Lisa said, smiling, then adding. "Thanks to you, now he's obsessed." She called out to Dean.

He rolled his eyes. "Your mom's being smart."

Ben looked at her. "Mom, that's so not cool."

Lisa raised her eyebrows. "You better come back inside, young man or you and Dean won't have a hot dinner."

"Aw," both males replied.

The trio walked back inside the house and Dean lingered behind, placing a comforting hand on Jo's shoulder before trudging into the kitchen. Lisa had taken the groceries out of the car and were all over the counter. Ben had sat up at the table, putting in his iPod and pulling out a comic book.

Jo helped with the groceries, seeming as the generous thing to do. But she was watching Dean and Lisa. Dean acted as if Jo wasn't there. He went over to Lisa and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"How was work?" he murmured in her ear. Jo started to pack the cans of food away in the top shelf.

Lisa with some common sense that Jo was in the room and turned around in his arms, scolding. "Work was good. Now let's unpack the food."

He grinned at her. "Love the way you're so demanding."

"Love the way you help in the kitchen," Lisa replied, unpacking the food. Dean sighed, caught Jo's gaze and turned away.

The girls made dinner as the boys went into the lounge room to watch TV, which was something she missed. They talked, short, small conversations.

When dinner was ready, the boys came in and everyone sat down at the table. It felt formal, like family to Jo. She smiled at the food they both made for everyone. Everyone started to serve themselves food on their plate. Dean and Lisa talked about work and mentioned a man called Rob a couple of times.

"Mom, I want to hang out with Josh tomorrow," Ben said, halfway through the meal.

"Who's Josh?"

"Josh Crowner," Ben said, rolling his eyes. "Duh."

"Hey watch your mouth young man. Eat your Brussels Sprouts."

Ben made a strange face that made everyone laugh. "Is he you're best friend or something?" Jo asked.

"Yeah. We're mates."

"I'm sure you can hang out with him," Dean said, looking at Lisa. "If it's alright with your mother."

They started talking again and when Ben was finished, he went over to watch TV in the living room. Jo stood up and began to clean the table, when Lisa offered she'd help.

"It's alright," Jo said. "You guys relax. After all, I want to help around."

Lisa was happy – persistent she should help, but after Jo cleared that she could survive a few sudsy plates, she relaxed and headed upstairs to change out of her uniform.

Dean went into the living room with Ben and all she could hear was the TV going. Jo washed and dried the dishes, cleaned the counter and table before stacking the plates away. When she was done, Lisa had come down.

"Hey," Lisa murmured, taking Jo to the corner of the room, away from the others. Jo was worried, but tried not to show it. Lisa looked sympathetic. "Dean told me you're a hunter."

Jo nodded, very surprised that Dean had told her anything like that. Which added to her self consciousness as those two were closer than she thought. Lisa put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I really am. I understand what you've gone through. My grandmother died a few days after my son's eighth birthday. It was horrible for us – we were so close to her. If you need," Lisa said, smiling. "A talk or something. I'm here, okay?"

Jo felt her eyes prickle and she blinked them away quickly before Lisa saw anything. She smiled. "I'll let you know."

"And perhaps you can get Dean to," Lisa lowered her voice. "Relax. He's always paranoid that there is some sort of supernatural force that is going to come this way and get Ben and myself. He's always unreasonable...and I think with someone who's had the same history as he has, that you could compromise him to just... stop?"

Jo frowned."What do you mean?"

Lisa sighed. "I mean, look at the place. There's symbols of god knows what under the mats, salt covering the windows. I've had to tell my friends that the salt is a pesticide to keep the bugs away – but it's only going to last so long you know? I just need Dean to step down from all this protectiveness. Ben and I have survived alone for a long time. Dean doesn't need to worry."

"Lisa, this is Dean we're talking about," she replied. "You're asking me to do the opposite against his will. He's the most stubbornest, arrogant, pig-headed..." her anger started to fold out, she quickly restepped. "Dean just...wants to keep everyone safe you know? Maybe it's not such a bad idea."

Lisa nodded, disliking the answer, but considering it. "It's just the salt... and the guns and everything."

She sighed and sat down. "I mean, we fight almost every night," Lisa said, shaking her head. "Ben almost found his ... stash... uh, I hate that word. What happened if he shot himself? What happens if it killed him? I-I mean, Ben just went down stairs and found it..."

This time Jo comforted Lisa. "Dean may be stupid, but he's not careless."

Lisa rubbed her temple. "I know... he always keeps the door locked and the keys with him... but that one time..."

"Did you tell Dean this?"

Lisa nodded. "It was the first time we argued."

Jo rested her head on her hand, leaning her elbow on the table. Hell, worse things happened to her when she was a kid. Once, she dropped a knife on her foot. She still has the scar there. "I guess he won't slip up again."

Lisa smiled. "Dean was really hard on himself."

"What do you mean?"

"He just... stopped. Stopped with going downstairs, stopped being the way he usually was. He took his car to the garage and left it there. He just...he got so protective over Ben," she whispered, leaning in. "I mean at first, I thought that it was the whole gun thing, but Dean just closed off. He no longer talked to me about things when he...you know... 'Hunted'. He just shut down. Even when he salts the house, he does it when we're out. And Ben..." she laughed softly. "Ben wants to be a hunter like Dean."

Jo frowned. "You want your son to become a hunter?"

"What? Of course not," Lisa replied. "But Ben always looks up to Dean. And... I think that's a good thing for him. Dean's good to Ben and me, but he's not good to himself."

"So let me get this straight: you want me to stop Dean with this obsession of...?"

"I just want Dean to be happy," Lisa whispered. "I want him to stop feeling like everything is his entire fault. I want him to stop feeling like he has to protect us all the time, which he has to give up everything. I just want Dean... to be Dean again."

* * *

**Right! Enough with coversations - it's about time Jo needs to kick some demon ass and Dean to find out about that picture of his little brother...**

**Look - I'm not a Lisa fan either lol I can't stand her - she's so stupid (respectfully)... glad to have this conversation with Lisa and Jo out of the way. **

**Now! JO AND DEAN GET TO WORK :3**


	14. Fourteen

****

60 Reviews! WOOHOOOOOOO!

**Alright! Gonna be some clicking together in this chapter... let's read on!**

* * *

It was a sweltering hot day as Lisa leant against the doorway, waving off her son pushing his dirt bike towards the other two boys from school. Ben rolled his eyes, embarrassed as his mom watched him from the porch.

"You're such a mommy's boy," Josh giggled, his helmet dangling from his bike handles. All four boys were going to go to the skate park just down the road.

"She just... cares," Ben replied, puffing out his chest. The four boys pulled on their helmets and when none of his friends were looking, Ben waved back.

The rode down to the skate park, racing each other. Ben peddled as fast as he could, trying to chase after them. He hated how he had shorter legs. Josh, Tyler and Mitchell coasted to a stop at the entrance of the skate park.

"Aw, maaaan," complained Tyler, glancing around. Ben unbuckled his helmet and came to a halt next to them.

The skate park was packed full of teenagers with skateboards. One of the teenagers that was lounging by a cement block, smoking, shouted, "hey look! It's the four dorks!"

"Let's get outta here," Ben said. The three other boys nodded in defeat.

They peddled out, went to the ice cream store on the way to contemplate where they would go.

"How about the park?" Tyler said.

"Which one?" Josh asked. "I mean, I don't wanna be doing jumps in a prissy little park."

"Hmmm," all the boys thought aloud.

"Well... why don't we go to the park in the forest?" Ben said. "I mean we could make Dirt Mountains and stuff and explore."

Mitchell looked nervous. "I don't know about me. My mom said a kid went missing there."

"Since when do you listen to your mom?" Josh scoffed, and then started chanting, "mommy's boy! Mommy's boy! Mitchell is a mommy's boy!"

"Hey don't pick on him," Ben said and Mitchell smiled at Ben. Josh rolled his eyes.

"Jokes. Alright, fine we'll go there. C'mon!"

When they were crossing the street with their bikes, Ben saw Jo walking down the path. "Hey! Jo!"

Jo lifted her head and glanced around. Her hair was up in a loose pony tail again and she was wearing a white singlet and jeans. Even though it was plain, Ben thought she looked pretty. Jo saw Ben and his friends and smiled and waved back.

Ben felt his cheeks warm up as he peddled over to her. Jo smiled, "what are you doing out in this heat, kid?"

"Just hanging out with my friends," Ben said coolly.

"Nice bike," she commented.

"Yeah. I got it at Christmas from mom," Ben replied. He could hear Josh and Tyler calling out names like, "ooh! Someone has a giiiirrrrlfriend!" and doing a bad case of wolf whistles and whooping.

Jo laughed. "New buddies?"

"Yeah," Ben said, looking back embarrassed. "I guess I gotta go. I'll see you back home!"

He started to go back to his group. "Where you going?" Jo called out.

He stopped and turned around. "To the forest. The skate park is full. Don't tell mom, she'll freak out."

Jo looked worried. "Alright. Stay together, okay?"

Ben blushed again. "See ya'!"

The four of them peddled into the forest. It was cooler in the shade and smelt like pine and dirt. The boys found a patch of fresh ground to kick up some dirt. There were a couple of grooves in the ground made by the roots of the pine trees around them that they could use as jumps.

Everyone was doing what they needed too, except Mitchell. He kept glancing around nervously as if he could feel something watching them.

"You guys... I think we should go back to the skate park," he said to Josh.

"C'mon. Don't be a wussy, Mitch."

"What's the matter?" Ben asked, looking around the forest. Their bikes were abandoned a few feet away. Ben felt eyes watching them and felt uneasy. "Don't worry. Did you hear what Jo said? We stay together."

Mitchell nodded. When he heard a twig snap behind them, he whimpered. "Did you hear that?"

Sun light speckled the ground around them, casting shadows in the distance. "I wanna go back," Mitchell said.

"After a couple of jumps!" Josh snapped.

"Hey!" Ben said. "We should go back. I think something's here."

Before Josh could react, a man appeared from the shadows of the trees. He was dark haired and dark skinned. His clothes were dirty and jeans were torn. But his eyes were black a smile on his face.

"Boys shouldn't be alone out here," he murmured, a hundred other voices speaking at the same time.

He grabbed Josh and he gave out a high pitched scream. Mitchell and Tyler staggered backwards, tripping over themselves, pushing Ben out of the way. Ben fell onto the dirt, scrambling back up.

"Hey!" he shouted to the man.

The man turned around and smiled. "I am going to get those friends of yours."

"Leave them alone!" he said, feeling the fear shaking him up. "Leave us alone!"

The man grinned and Josh struggled in his grasp, kicking and screaming. The man lifted up his hand and with one flick of a finger, sent Ben flying into the trunk of a nearby pine, knocking him out cold.

Jo ran as fast as she could to the screams, her feet almost tripping over the loose foliage and roots. She pushed past the ferns and the low hanging branches. Wrapped in a thigh belt was the Demon killing knife Crowley had given her, in her hand was a .45 and in her jeans pocket was a vial of hold water.

"Dammit!" she cursed, sprinting through the forest. She could still hear the screaming and suddenly she burst into the opening and found herself face to face with the demon. With one clear shot, the bullet hit it in the shoulder blade.

The demon staggered backwards, clutching the unconscious boy in its other arm as blood poured down the other. He stared at her and chuckled. "You can't kill me with that, bitch."

"No," Jo said, flipping out the knife. "But I can with this."

The demon stared incredulously at the knife. "Where did you get that?"

"Doesn't matter. Let the boy go."

Her eyes flickered to the unconscious body of Ben in the roots and her heart pulsed faster. _Was he still alive?_

The demon just laughed. "Go on. Give it your best shot. Try and get me with that knife."

She hesitated, eyes flickering back and forth from the demon and Ben's limp body.

She lowered the knife. "Why are you doing this?"

"Baby, I'm a demon. I get hungry. People walk into these woods and don't realise how big it is. I need to eat," he said, stroking the cheek of the little boy in his arm.

He smiled back at her. "But any hunter like you, Jo, would know when to shoot and when not too."

She didn't act surprised. "How do you know my name?"

He laughed. "We've been talking about you... ever since you fell from grace. You're the one casted down from Heaven. Just like Lucifer, only... we demons dragged you down instead of God himself."

Jo glared at him. "You're lying."

He smiled. "Sorry, baby. I have to go. I'll be back. Don't you worry."

With a flick of his wrist, Jo's body was flown across the opening into a tree. She felt her back crack against the wood and saw black.

She opened her eyes almost instantly, seeing stars in front of her. As her vision focused she noticed the demon wasn't around. She went over to Ben, trying to wake him up. He didn't. She checked if he had any back problems, but seemed fine. She didn't have a choice. She knew where the demon was, but she couldn't leave Ben behind, nor did she have the time to take him back into town. She needed someone who could help Ben at the moment and there was only one person. She flipped out her phone and dialled.

"Hello?"

"Dean – you gotta hear me out. I need your help."

"Whoa, hang on. Jo is that you?" he was suddenly anxious. "What's wrong?"

"I'm – I'm fine," she said hurriedly. "Look I don't have a lot of time. It's Ben, he's not waking up. I need you to get him. He's hurt, its really bad."

"Where are you?" She could hear a car door close on the other end.

"I'm-"

"There you are," the demon said, grabbing her hair and yanking her back. Jo gasped, dropping the phone to the ground. The demon lifted her up to her feet, smiling. "I told you I'd be back."

The demon grinned, showing her all of its teeth. Ben was still curled up on the ground and the phone was a few feet away. She turned and with all her strength, kneed the demon hard in the crotch. The demon gasped, letting her go and Jo scrambled over the phone.

"Dean!"

"I'm here Jo - what's going on?"

"We're at the national park, just off path 3-" she turned around and kicked the demon in the shins. "There's a house, Dean. Head west-"

The demon grabbed her foot tightly and dragged her across the dirt. "Dean!" she called out as the phone slipped from her hands again. Jo searched around for the knife. Spotting it behind him. she twisted around and tried to knee him again but the demon pinned her down, grunting.

"Show a little fighting spirit, eh?" he breathed. Jo buckled underneath him and managed to slip away. She scrambled, upwards screaming, "Dean! Hurry!"

Her hands were inches away from the knife before she was knocked unconscious.

* * *

**AN: Always unconcious, glad to have an original cliff hanger. lol.**


	15. Fifteen

**AN: Yes, the knife she has is Ruby's wonderful demon-slaying knife :) and yes, Crowley gave Jo that also.**

* * *

All she could hear was the wood groaning as it expanded in the sunlight. All she felt was her hands tied up above her head and her feet dangling inches from the floor. All she felt was the searing pain in her limbs and back. Everywhere hurt, unimaginable pain.

She opened her eyes and looked around. She immediately recognised it as the old, worn down house that Crowley had mentioned to her. Inside was just as worn as the outside. Furntiure was covered in dust and dirt. Windows were boarded up and a few streaks of sunlight pierced through the stuffy air. The only thing that wasn't dusty was the butchers table in the old kitchen. Covered in stained blood and bones. Her immediate thoughts were of Ben and Josh. If they were still alive.

"Ben?" she called, trying to move around, rotate or something to see what was behind her. "Ben? Are you there?"

She heard a few coughs and groans from the other end of the room. "Jo...?"

_Oh, thank god. _"Ben? It's gonna be alright. I'm gonna get us out of this." She struggled with the rope around her wrists, burning – cutting into her skin. She tugged again and hissed at the sting. "Stay awake... you hear me? Help is coming. You gotta stay awake."

"Alright..." was all he could say.

She noticed the piece of railing that was keeping her up was snapped and broken in the middle. Jo lifted her legs up against the wall and pushed, jerking upright to get the loop of the rope to move. After a few goes, the rope hitched closer to the space. Her arms were burning and so was her back. She did it a few more goes – quicker and quicker, trying to get down before the demon came back in for them.

She heard the floor boards creak and she stopped, panting, trying to wiggle the rope closer. She could feel someone's breath on her neck and the hairs on her arms prickled up. She licked her lips, trying to think of something tactful to do.

She jumped when she felt the hands on hers and she glanced up, seeing Ben climbing on top of the cabinet and jerking the rope. "I'm gonna get you down," he whispered.

He jerked a couple of times but the rope didn't move. Jo could no longer reach the wall. "Ben – you gotta get a knife from the kitchen. Hurry."

He nodded and jumped down from the cabinet. He reappeared moments later, climbing back on the cabinet with a butcher's knife in his hand. Jo gulped. "Now don't drop that."

"I won't," Ben said as he began sawing away at the rope. "Dean showed me."

_Dean._ Jo almost smiled at the name.

The rope snapped and Jo landed on her feet. She got Ben to cut the rope from her wrists and when she was free, she took him off the cabinet and settled him down on the floor.

"You gotta hide, alright?" Jo whispered. "If he comes back, you have to hide, okay? Don't say a word, don't do anything. Run when I tell you to, okay?"

Ben nodded and Jo pressed her head against the dry blood on his forehead. "Does it hurt?"

Ben nodded, Jo kissed his forehead. "Go Ben."

Ben hurried off and hides inside one of the cabinets in the kitchen. Jo rushed forward and spotted the other boy, still unconscious, lying on the dirty lounge. She grabbed him and put him on the bed in the other room and closed the door.

She hunted through the pantry, finding nothing but old, empty jars. She cursed, running out of time until she found what she was looking for. She found some old paint in one of the cupboards, grabbed it and went to work. When she was finished with the Devil's Trap, she flipped the mat over.

"Looking for these?" a voice said behind her.

The demon smiled, holding the knife in one hand and emptying the vial of holy water by his shoes in his other. "You thought I would leave these behind in the company of a hunter?"

He walked over to her. "This..." he murmured, gazing at the knife in wonder. "Is a masterpiece. I know the guy who made this, y'know. Clever. Old. Tasted like off beef from a Chinese restaurant."

Jo was disgusted. "You killed him."

He chuckled. "Well, of course I did. It's my nature after all."

He took a step towards her and she took a step back. "So where did you hide them?" the demon wondered. "Don't worry, I'll sniff them out later when I'm done with you."

He was bent over her in a second, running his fingers in her hair. Jo shoved him away, but he was too strong. "You even smell fantastic. I could just lick you from top to bottom. Have a little... fun, you know?"

He pushed closer and smiled. With one movement, Jo's head cracked against the floor and he was standing over her, a boot on her chest. She gritted her teeth. "You can have me, but you gotta let the kids go."

The demon shook its head. "Kid's stay here. You're the main course."

Jo glanced at the puddle next to her. It was the holy water the demon had poured on the ground. With one sweeping movement, she pushed her hand in the water and grabbed the demons face.

The demon howled, its face burning and contorted with pain. Jo scrambled up to her feet and punched it as hard as she could. The demon staggered backwards, recovering quickly. He punched her back, "you little bitch!"

Jo's back hit the wall and she felt her face burning. She lifted her leg and kicked him in the gut. The demon growled and lifted up its hand.

She slammed back into the wall, unable to move. She screamed in frustration as the demon moved closer, a twisted smile on its face. "Got you now, baby."

It suddenly stopped, hitting a invisible wall. Jo smiled triumphantly at the demons astonished face. "Devil's Trap...bitch."

"NO!" he roared, glaring at her. "I'll skin you alive, right now if I have to!"

The door slammed open and Dean burst through, a gun in his hand. He didn't look at Jo at all when he walked straight up to the demon and shot it four times.

The demon chuckled, blood spilling from its chest and mouth. "That can't kill me."

"No," he said, his face frightening. "But this will."

He started chanting and the demon roared out in pain, clutching its ears. It wasn't until a great billow of smoke erupted from the mouth that it was over.

Jo tumbled to the ground and Dean came over to help her up. Her ankle was badly sprained as she put her arm around Dean's neck. He hitched her up without a word and looked around the room.

"Ben..." Jo called. "Ben it's over."

The door of one of the cabinets by the sink opened slowly and Ben got out, tears running down his face. He held himself, shaking and Dean's body went slightly limp.

"Ben. It's okay," he murmured and the boy ran up to them both and wrapping his arms around him and Jo.

"Go outside," Dean said to Ben. "We'll be out in a minute."

Ben nodded and went outside. Dean went over and looked at the body on the floor, as Jo hurried into the other room. "Dean," she called. Dean was instantly in the room with her.

"I'll take him," Dean said quietly, picking up the unconscious boy and taking him outside. He glanced at Jo's boots. "You stay out here. I'll deal with the body."

"Dean-"

"Don't," he said thickly, looking away and trudging back into the house.

Jo retrieved her items in the house and slid the knife back in the hoister as she walked onto the front porch. Ben was sitting in the sun, sniffing and Jo sat down beside him.

"What's Dean gonna do to that guy?" he whispered to her.

"He's going to take him away," Jo replied quietly.

Ben sniffed and Jo wrapped her arms around him. "Ben, I know you're scared. But it's alright now. Everything is alright now. You're safe and that's all that matters... and you know what? You saved my life by cutting me down. You were pretty cool." Jo smiled. Ben nodded, giving her a small smile back.

Fifteen minutes later, Dean reappeared, wiping the dirt from his hands on his jeans. Jo went up to the other boy, but Dean had already scooped him up. He gave Jo one upset look and glanced away. "C'mon, Ben."

Ben stood up. "But what about Jo?"

He gripped Jo's hand tightly. "She's injured too."

Dean sighed, impatiently. "Can't carry two at once, kid. Besides," Dean replied, glancing at her. "I think she can manage on her own."

Jo looked down and Ben glared at Dean's turned back. "I'll look after you," he piped up, loud enough for Dean to hear. Jo smiled and Ben helped her down the steps. "C'mon. Let's go."

The walk took almost half an hour as they arrived in the parking lot. Jo's eyes settled on the familiar Impala, glistening in the afternoon light. Dean opened the back door and placed the kid inside. "Right, Ben in the back."

"What? No," Ben said, shaking his head and squeezing Jo's hand tighter. Dean wasn't in the compromising mood.

"Ben. Last time."

Ben sulked and slammed the door behind him. Dean opened the door for Jo and went around the front to the other side of the car.

"Let me have a look," Dean said, glancing at Jo.

"A look at what?"

He sighed and took her hand. He looked over it to her and pinched his lips, upset.

The engine roared into life and Dean drove out of the driveway. They went to the hospital where Dean dropped off the kid and tried to drop off Ben, who created a fuss. When he had walked back out, he sat back in the car.

"Is he alright?" Ben asked.

"He's gonna be fine, kid," Dean replied. "Doctors say he's got a mild concussion and they'll ring his parents."

"That's good to hear," Jo said.

They were on the highway in a matter of moments. "I want to talk to you when we get home," Dean said to Jo. "Alone."


	16. Sixteen

**AN: Ooookaay, look, after these chapters Dean and Jo finally get some time together. I heard a couple of you guys wondering if its gonna be M rating? Well, I did rate it M lol and there will be M rating material, lol how can it not in this situation? lol**

* * *

When they arrived home, Lisa was frantic. She was almost in tears as she saw Ben with the cut above his head. She had shunned both Dean and Jo away to comfort her child and to clean him up. Jo tried to say what happened but Lisa shook her head, wanting to hear nothing of it. Jo felt the tears sting in her eyes as she went into her room.

She slammed the bedroom door closed, but Dean had slammed it open behind her, closing it after him.

She ignored him, she was grabbing her clothes and stuffing them in a plastic bag.

"You want to explain to me what happened back there?" Dean demanded, so furious that he grabbed her arm to get her attention.

"It was a demon, Dean. A fucking demon."

"Oh, so you decided you were game enough to stop it?" he spat right back at her. "You could've died! You could've got Ben killed!"

"Ben didn't die! And I didn't either!" she shouted back at him, ripping his hand away. "Alright? So stop acting like I've done something wrong!"

"Oh – you've done something wrong. You thought you could macho up against a damn DEMON when you haven't done so in a year? That's half-cock right there!"

"I had the situation under control!"

"Well, what it looked like was your ass on the wall and the demon about to fry it!"

"I said I had it under control. How many times did a hunt always go your way, Dean?"

"What about that little fairy knife you have, huh? Where did you get that?" Dean demanded. "Or why don't you start at the beginning: who sent you here?"

"That's none of you're business."

"Right," he scoffed. "None of my business. Well guess what? As long as your under this roof, any of your business is my business!"

"Stop snooping around!" she snapped, shoving her clothes in the bag, her eyes prickling with angry tears.

"I'm not the one snooping!"

"There was a hunt, Dean! _I'm_," she empahsised. "A hunter! That's what I do!"

He was furious. "Not under my roof you are!"

Jo wanted to slap him. "You dick! Who made you boss?"

"Joanna Beth Harvelle, you are not going back into hunting!" Dean roared. "I refuse - no, I _forbid_ to let you go back into hunting! It is nothing but hurt and pain and a miserable ass job!"

"FINE," Jo snapped. "You know what, Dean? I'm a hunter, and if you don't like it, then screw you buddy. Because this is who I am and I don't need you of all people telling me that I can't."

"I'm telling you because you almost got killed! What did you do? Did you use those kids as bait, huh? Try and lure the demon out?"

Without warning, Jo slapped him hard across the face, her eyes were burning. "Don't you _dare_ even say that I threw those kids in there to get that demon. I was trying to save them from it. I knew there was a demon in that forest, Dean and I was lucky to find Ben there. You know what? Forget it. I'm leaving."

Dean obviously tempered himself. His jaw tightened. "I can't let you do this to yourself, Jo. I can't."

"Says who? They guy that still salts and bounds his house?" Jo glared. "The man who keeps all his guns in the basement and hides his car in the garage? Out of what, Dean? Shame, is it? Or are you tired of going around and blasting the same freak over and over?"

"I don't want you to have the life I had," Dean snapped. "I don't want you to get caught in the mistakes that I made."

"Yeah well, frigging big 'woohoo', everyone makes mistakes, Dean!"

He looked away, upset. "Jo... I don't want you to leave me. Please."

"Yeah well, it's obvious you don't want me to be a hunter under your roof," Jo said, shaking her head. "I just...I can't deal with this stuff with you and Lisa and Ben. I can't. I'm not your family, Dean. I don't belong here."

"Don't say that," he whispered.

Jo picked up her bags. "Yeah well you're the one that made the big ultimatum, Dean."

"I..." he started, stumped. He started to pace the room. "You can't just leave. You're hurt, Jo, you've got nowhere to go."

"I'll go to Bobby's," Jo replied coldly.

"I'll take you there," he said.

"No."

"Then how are you gonna get there?" He demanded, crossing his arms. "You're not going anywhere until that cut of yours is cleaned."

"You're not gonna stop until you get what you want, aren't you?"

He moved closer and Jo flinched. He rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a baby."

He inspected her, and the places he touched her, she winced in pain. Dean nodded to himself. "Right, we're booking a motel room, and then we're off to Bobby's."

"We?" Jo replied, folding her arms. "There is no _we_. I'm going to a hotel room and I'm going to Bobby's."

"Fine," Dean replied, just as snarky. "I'll book the room and I'll drive the car."

He gave her a smug smile and left the room.

Lisa was cleaning Ben's cut with shaking fingers as Dean went down stairs to check on them. Ben glanced over at Dean and frowned.

"Why did you fight with her?" he said.

"Ben!" whispered Lisa.

Dean looked away. "I'm gonna take Jo to Bobby's."

"She saved my life!" Ben shouted at Dean, upset. "And you acted like an asshole to her!"

"Ben!" Lisa snapped. "Don't say that."

Dean looked tiredly at Ben and felt the weight of guilt belt against his ribs. "No, he's right."

Lisa glanced up at him. "What happened to my son?"

Dean didn't want to break the news, no matter how much he didn't want to. "It was a demon, Lisa."

She tried not to look upset as she turned away. "I don't want her in this house."

"Mom!" Ben said. "It wasn't her fault! It was my fault... I sent those boys in the forest and that demon came out and attacked us. Jo saved my life!"

"I don't care!" Lisa said, tears falling down her face. "You should've been there. What were you thinking?"

Dean went over and stroked her back but Lisa shivered and moved away. "Don't blame her," Ben said. "It wasn't her fault."

_It wasn't her fault._

"_There was a hunt, Dean! I'm a hunter. That's what I do."_

"_The guy who still salts and bounds his house?"_

"_... Is it, shame?"_

_Or... am I afraid?_

"I'll be back in a few days," Dean muttered, grabbing his keys.

"I hate you!" Ben shouted at them, tears running down his face. "I hate both of you!"

He got off the counter and ran up stairs.

Lisa stood up from the counter, rubbing her temples. "Just... go, Dean."

Jo walked down the steps as a small Ben wrapped his hands around her. "Don't go, Jo! Please, don't listen to them! I want you here."

Jo touched his hair. "Ben... I can't."

He sniffed, squeezing her. "Please."

"You want to know why I can't?" Jo said, sitting down on the steps. "It's because I don't belong here. I'm a hunter. I'm not as lucky as you to have a family. I can't live in a house this nice and fight demons."

"But I want you to stay," Ben hiccupped.

"I can't. But I promise I'll be around."

Ben shook his head. "Fine!" he said and ran up into his room. Jo was filled with sadness.

"Jo," Dean called from the bottom of the stairs and motioned to the door.

* * *

**Right! Motel scene uuuuupppp next :)**


	17. Seventeen

**AN: Okay, what I shoulda done is Dean dropping Jo off at the motel and going back home to confront Lisa... woulda worked better... ah well, nothing to do about it now! Motel sceeeenneee :D**

* * *

When she looked into the mirror, she felt self disgust.

Just one of the things she was feeling at the moment. Anger: for herself and what happened to Ben. Guilt, to what happened to the children, for Lisa to get upset. Self disgust, for not being able to do this hunt on her own and drag Dean into it.

Her hands gripped the rim of the sink tightly as she stared unseeingly into the mirror. Dry blood had formed around her left eye and swelling where the demon had hit her. Her nails were dirty when she had clawed at the ground and there were horrible burns around her wrists. Even though she couldn't see them under her clothes, she was cut and bruised in many more places.

She stripped out of her clothes in a way that didn't make her stretch her body too much and turned on the shower. She groaned out loud, as the warm water trickled away the dirt and blood and oozing in a stinging way over her injuries. She washed her hair and her body and when she was done, she got out of the shower, dried herself and changed into some fresh clothes.

She finally opened the door into the room, her eyes falling on Dean's back. He was sitting at the end of the second single bed, reading through some papers he had in his hand. When he heard Jo enter the room, he closed the folder and walked over to her. "You're alright?" he asked.

She nodded. "Were those my notes you were reading?"

Dean put his hands in his pockets as Jo past him to pick her folder up. Dean felt uncomfortable admitting that Jo had done a good job with preparing information for the hunt and seemed to have a hard time to give her that credit. "They're good, you know," he said. "You did some good research."

Jo tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded, quiet and thinking.

"Jo... I just wanna say that I'm sorry," he said. "Look, you want to hunt. I get it and I can't stop you doing that."

"But there's a but coming," Jo replied, sitting on her end of her bed, relieving weight on her sprained ankle.

"But I'm not letting you do it alone," Dean settled.

She thought about it for a moment. She had to admit, she was a little rusty. "Alright..."

"You can hunt with Bobby," he continued, pulling up a chair close to her and sitting down. "Hell, even Rufus if you want. There are a dozen of good hunters out there that wouldn't mind some extra help."

"I don't want to hunt with Rufus or any hunter I don't know," Jo said. "You know that Bobby and I will be down each other's throats half way through a hunt. I want to hunt with you Dean."

Dean dropped his head and gazed at the floor, his mouth opening and closing a couple of times. "I...can't hunt."

"Bull. I watched you exorcise that demon right in front of my eyes."

His mouth twitched as he fidgeted with the ring on his finger. "Yeah...but it was you in there. You couldn't have done it on your own."

"Oh really?" Jo said. She then chanted the exorcism ritual right there. When she was done she gave a victorious, pleased smile.

He chuckled. "Touché."

"So does that mean I can hunt with you?"

"Nope," he said.

Jo let out a frustrated sigh. "How about if I hunt with Bobby for a couple of days, would you consider hunting again?"

Dean looked at her warily. Jo continued. "I do my own research; I have all I need at Bobby's house. I'm vigilant, Dean. I know my ways around guns, spells. Hell, I saved your ass last time, remember?"

He looked away, frowning. "I remember."

"Look," she said. "How about this: I don't have to go on hunts. We can help Bobby with his hunts. Research and stuff. Would you consider that?"

_What's the worse Sam could do?_

Dean didn't know what to say. But at times like this, he knew where he could go. He got up and grabbed his jacket and headed to the door. He pulled it open and looked back at her.

"I'm going out," he said. "You want anything?"

Jo shook her head. "You're going to think about it?"

He gave her a small smile. "I'll think about it."

_Baby, I'm right here. Don't you worry about a thing._

_..._

_Mom?_

_It's me sweetheart. It's me._

_Mom, I missed you. I'm scared._

_I know. It's alright to be scared, honey. _

_Do you think...I mean, you didn't have to die, right? When we were in that store?_

_Someone had to open the doors, honey. You were too hurt._

_But you could've run and left me with the trigger. You could still be alive._

_You wouldn't have made it._

_Mom?_

_Yes?_

_I love you. I love you and dad and miss you so much._

_I know. I have to go, honey._

_Flames erupted around her, swallowing up her body. She felt the skin fall from her face and her muscle turn into ash and the pain was so much and took so long to go away, Jo didn't see the face watching her in the flames. The black eyes and the evident smile he had on._

Jo was woken up by the engine of the Impala outside her motel door. She glanced up at the alarm clock and groaned. It was two in the morning.

The door of motel opened and closed quietly. She heard the keys fall on the table and the rustle of clothing as Dean shrugged of his jacket. He disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes. Jo propped herself on her elbows and Dean came out, switching off the bathroom light. He paused in his step.

She didn't have to ask where he had been or what he had done. She knew deep inside where he had been that night and Dean was thankful that she didn't ask questions about it.

"Go back to sleep," he murmured, walking to his bed and yanking back the covers.

But Jo was wide awake and she couldn't. Not after the dream.

"Dean?"

"What?"

"Do you think...do you think I killed mom?" she whispered.

Dean turned over. "What? No way!"

Jo laid back down, feeling the tears stream down her face quietly. "But I could've done something to stop it, right? I mean if she gave me the trigger and went with you guys..."

Dean had sat up. "Jo, don't think it like that."

"But she could've had a chance to run away, right? Help you guys?"

She noticed the tears and wiped them away quickly on the blanket, but new ones formed. "She'd still be alive..."

Dean could tell she was upset. He pulled the cover of his blanket back. "C'mon," he said, sleepily, shuffling over. "Come here."

Jo sniffed and got out of her bed and went over to Dean's, getting in the small single bed. She turned so her back was pressed into his chest and the curve of his legs was against hers. Dean threw the blanket over both of them and wrapped his arm around her chest, his chin resting on the top of her head on the pillow, like a father holding a child when she had a nightmare.

"Honestly," Dean murmured and Jo could feel his chest rise and fall slowly against her spine. "You're mother loved you Jo. Ellen didn't want to live on without you. She loved you too much."

Tears began to stream again. "But she had a choice..."

"And she chose to stay with you," Dean mumbled, kissing her hair. "That was her choice. Not your fault."

Jo gave a slow nod. "You know..." she said sleepily. "I guess...you're right. Wow, Dean listen to you... all Dalai Lama."

"Only on Thursdays," he replied, drifting off.

Jo chuckled and Dean reached for her hand and squeezed it. He nuzzled into her hair and sighed.

She ran her fingers down the blanket, skimming his arm and Dean groaned, sounding pleased. "I'm taking you to Bobby's..." he muttered.

And he passed out.

Jo sighed and finally closed her eyes, kissing his knuckles. This was the part of Dean she loved so much. She smiled herself, warm and safe and soon began to dream.

* * *

**OKAY! I KNOW! You were looking forward to some Dean/Jo action in this scene, but it just felt so wrong to do it so soon. I couldn't write it in, (don't get me wrong, I wanted to). I mean, Dean went off drinking, both of them are tired and Dean is thinking about going into hunting again – I can't push the characters anymore than that! *sighs* I PROMISE you I will put it in soon! And... Castiel... and Chuck... and Sam ... and Bobby ... and Crowley... ARGH! So much to write, not enough hands lol**


	18. Eighteen

**AN: Over 6,000 hits to this story and over 80 reviews so far! I just want to thank you guys for reading, reviewing and making me want to write this story more and more.**

**And thanks for being patient, you know I can't push these character's too quickly, otherwise the story won't be right. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show :)**

**Also, I was in a car accident the other night - far out that was freaky! My friend was driving the car and we got hit. Lucky no one was hurt! Must be a sign from God to hurry up! Haha.**

**Thanks Cricket05 for the song!**

* * *

Let me come closer, I'm not your shadow

With our eyes shielding from the oncoming counts

It's not hard for us to say what we should not

_Let's Get Lost – Bat for Lashes and Beck_

* * *

Dean was twisted uncomfortably in the sheets on the bed. His back ached and his left arm was trapped in the blanket. He groaned, trying to move into a more comfortable position when last night's events rolled back into his head.

The door opened and Jo walked in, with a bagel in her mouth and a paper bag and two cups of take-away coffee in her hands. She went to the table and sat down. Dean squinted at the harsh summer light oozing through the make-shift blinds and decided it was bright enough to get up.

"Mornin' princess." Jo started to untie her left boot.

Dean stretched himself out and untangled himself. He got up and Jo offered him a cup of coffee. He nodded and took it. "When did you wake up?"

"I couldn't really sleep," Jo said, pulling off her left sock and inspecting the bandages on her ankle. She glanced up at Dean with an annoyed look and a smile playing around her lips. "You're a snorer," she said. She swallowed. "But I see you slept like the living dead."

Dean grunted a reply before drinking his coffee. "How's the ankle?"

Jo shrugged. "Sore...but it's nothing to worry about."

Dean inspected her face quietly. "The swelling's gone down."

Suddenly self conscious, she lifted her hand to the area around her eye. "It's better than I thought."

She put back on her footwear, clearing her throat. "I didn't know what to get you for breakfast so I got you a bacon and egg breakfast roll down the street."

His stomach grumbled at the thought and he snatched up the bag. "Thanks."

Dean went into the bathroom and fifteen minutes later, came out fully clothed and clean. He had walked on Jo watching the TV, zoning out at the end of her bed. Her blond hair was spilled down one shoulder as she leant over to receive the remote. He watched how her singlet rode halfway up her midriff, caught on the sheets. Jo glanced up and Dean looked away for his keys.

She propped herself up on the end of her bed and turned the TV off with the remote. "So when are we leaving to see Bobby?"

"I have to ring him," Dean told her and with that, checked his black Samsung on the bedside table. Jo raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't asked him?"

"I'm just checking in," he said and went outside to phone the old hunter.

It was on the fourth ring, did Bobby Singer pick up his phone. Dean mentally sighed in relief.

"Dean," Bobby said on the other end. He sounded relieved. "It's been a while."

But Dean couldn't help to smile. "Yeah, Bobby."

There was silence. A hunter on ... ex-hunter talk. "Are you alright? Has something happened?"

He took in the surroundings of the outside of the hotel and drew in a big breath. "No, everything's fine. But...ah... I was just wonderin' if I could catch up with you for a couple of days."

"Lisa been ridin' ya too hard, boy?" Bobby said confused. "Or has something bad happened?"

Dean rubbed his temples. He didn't know what to think. Jo was waiting for him inside, alive and geogous as Dean had remembered. But he didn't know what the road he was going back on was a good thing for him or bad. _Was hunting such a sin back then?_ "I don't know, Bobby. I don't know anymore."

"Well boy... you can come by anytime you want," Bobby replied. "We can sort this out together. You're not in this alone in this."

"Thanks..." Dean cleared his throat. "I'll be there in about eight hours or so."

"I'm on a hunt at the moment. Won't be back for a couple of days myself," he replied and with that, Dean could hear the rumble of an engine on the other end. "Damn Shape Shifter in Ohio."

Dean closed his phone and headed back inside. Jo was ready, her bag already under her arm.

"Let's hit the road!" Jo smiled. They checked out and headed over to the Impala. Her shiny black exterior glistening in the sunlight, and Dean felt so good going over to his car. He ran his hand over the top and the familiar creak of his door sent a warm shiver down his spine. He sighed. Damn, this car got the best of him.

"What did Bobby say?" Jo asked, tapping the boot for Dean to open it. He unlocked it for her and she threw her bag inside.

"Bobby said its fine," Dean replied, sliding into his seat. Jo slipped into the seat next to him. "But he's on a hunt at the moment and won't be back until a couple of days."

Dean saw the flash of nervousness cross her features and wasn't sure if it was about Bobby hunting. "What's he hunting?"

"A shape shifter." It felt odd to have these conversations again, but at the same time, felt right. He ran his fingers up the leather steering wheel and started the car. The familiar rumble of his baby went into life and Dean couldn't help but to smile.

Sun filtered through the front windscreen as they hit the back roads to Bobby's house and after finding out that the air conditioning didn't work, Jo wound down her window and rested her face against the warm leather seat, soaking herself in the sun.

They talked about everything. From movies to the weather to just about everything else in general. The conversation flowed and if there was nothing left to talk, Jo would hum to the radio dipping her head subtly to the beat. Her blond strands of hair blew in the warm wind, whipping across her face. And every time she would say the wrong words to the song, she would laugh and run her fingers through her hair and Dean always found that attractive.

"I don't mind this song," Jo said, moving her hand to the dial and turning it up. Dean didn't know the song and didn't really like it at first.

"What's with the hippy crap?"

"It's _Indie_," Jo replied. "And Mumford and Sons are not 'hippy crap' mister."

Dean chuckled. "Sounds pretty hippy to me."

"You need to open up your musical vocabulary," she replied and with that began singing along with the song. "What if I've lost all I had, says the stranger to his dad..." She rested her head against the seat again. "And the witness is confused, he can't tell what it's about..." Jo gets a strand of hair and starts to play with it absent mindedly. "So he runs up to the nearest girl, and he comments on her glorious curls..." she watched the trees passing by, still singing. "Says darling come with me ...I'll show you a whole new world..."

Dean cleared his throat and Jo looked at him. "What?" A smile playing on her lips.

"Nothin'," Dean said, looking back to the road, feeling flustered. "You're a good...singer. You know."

Jo blushed and Dean cleared his throat uncomfortably.

They drove for hours and morning turned into afternoon. They stopped by a gas station for lunch and more gas in the tank. When they started driving and Jo had fallen asleep beside him. Dean's mind went back into his memories.

"_C'mon Sammy!" Dean grinned, turning up the music. It pumped through the speakers._

_Sam jerked awake from his sleep to see Dean mouthing and air drumming to Thunderstruck._

"_Dude, no need to blare it out," Sam said, wanting to turn the music down but probably knew he'd get karate kicked in the face by Dean if he did. Instead, he punched his brother in the arm._

_But it didn't stop Dean from his performance. He started drumming on the steering wheel and blaring the horn. There was no one on the back road apart from them._

_To be honest, Dean looked funny and Sam laughed when a bug flew into his brothers mouth._

_Dean choked and gagged. "Oh, god." He gave a barf and wiped his mouth. "That tasted like Saturday night tacos."_

"_I think it's a sign from above to stop your over-acting."_

_Dean turned the music down. "One man show, c'mon. Had to elaborate for some of the other band members."_

"_Why would a fly taste like Taco?"_

"_Maybe it landed on one just before."_

"_Flies don't eat tacos. They vomit on them to coat the food and then eat their vomit."_

"_So a fly just went into my mouth after hurling on an off-taco," Dean said. He thought about it for a moment. And shuddered. "Alright, enough science crap. Music time."_

"_It's not science, its biology."_

"_Biology is a science thing."_

"_Biology is a completely different..." Sam sighed, "Forget it."_

"_Yeah!" Dean said, grinning. "What's that? 35 to 22 or something?"_

"_I don't want to argue. Forget it."_

"_You're a sore loser, Sammy."_

"_Yeah. Whatever, Dean."_

"_Bitch."_

"_Jerk."_

_..._

They arrived at Bobby's before nightfall. It looked the same as it always had and the place brought back a lot of unwanted memories for the both of them. Dean opened the door and let Jo in first before stepping into the hunter's home with trepidation.

"Everything is the way I remember it," Jo said, looking around. "It even smells the same too."

She went upstairs and dumped her bag in one of the spare rooms before coming down stairs. She saw Dean looking over the books in the bookcase, the sleeves on his shirt rolled up and hands stuffed into his jeans pockets. "So many books..." he murmured. "So many things we had to know."

His eyes fell onto the worn cover of the bible sitting open on the cluttered desk. He brushed his fingers across the inked words, his eyes falling on to the picture of Lucifer falling from Heaven and frowned.

"Hey," Jo said, coming up beside him, her hand falling onto the book. Dean looked up to her. "Let's not think about those things just yet. You want a drink?"

Dean nodded. "You're right."

Jo gave one of her famous smiles. "Of course I am."

She went into the kitchen and fetched them both a beer. Dean followed her in and stopped.

When she saw his face, she stopped what she was doing. "What's wrong?"

He couldn't help but to think back on that night when they had last spent together. He shrugged. "You just remind me of...that night."

"Oh," she glanced down, blushing again.

He walked up to her. "Except Cas isn't here. Or your mother."

Jo handed him his beer. "Or the whole 'let's be merry' speech."

Dean chuckled. "Or that."

Jo took a swig of her beer and nodded. Dean's eyes fell to her lips, wet from the alcohol. "I wish Bobby was here," Jo said, backing up to the counter. "I miss that old man."

Dean stood in front of her. "If you stop being impatient, he'll be here soon."

"How soon?" Jo challenged. "Call him in so he can come back early?"

Dean eyed her. "Settle down pony."

"Yeah, well, I miss everyone."Jo smiled and took another sip. This time she licked her lips. He watched as her tongue rolled across the top and then the bottom before disappearing back inside her mouth and instantly felt his entire body groan.

"Let's watch TV," Dean suddenly said, deciding that sitting down would be a better idea than standing. He went to the lounge and sat down to turn on the TV but Jo stood in front of him.

"You're in the way," Dean complained and extended one leg to kick her.

She laughed. "Kicking me won't make me move."

Dean thought of another tactic. "Please?"

Jo rolled her eyes and slumped on the couch. At the same time they both put their feet on the coffee table and took a sip of their beer.

They were watching a scary movie and Dean was so bored he decided to scare Jo. She jumped ten feet in the air when he belted out a mock-scream and laughed when she spilt beer all over her shirt.

"Jackass!" Jo said, kicking him. Dean laughed even harder as she tripped on one of the pillows on the floor. Jo laughed and got the pillow to hit him. Instead she missed and knocked over the remainder of his beer off the coffee table.

She poked her tongue out. "See that, Dean Winchester? Karma!"

She came up closer, the pillow raised and Dean grabbed her around the waist and tickled her. Jo squirmed, giggling, trying to push his hands away but Dean had caught her with his legs and sent her off balance onto the floor. She laughed, panting out, "Dean! Stop it! Dean!"

"Not so smart, now Jo Harvelle," Dean leered and Jo laughed, punching his thigh. "That's it!" Dean said and tickled her more.

Jo wriggled on the floor, laughing out so much that her lungs hurt. Her hands gripped his forearms, trying to tug them away, but Dean was relentless and he wanted to see Jo suffer. But she had gotten a good enough grip and pulled Dean over.

He fell against her and panicked when he heard her gasp out loud. He looked down to see if he hadn't hurt her but Jo was grinning at him and Dean grinned back.

His hand had a mind of its own and pushed away the hair from her face. It then went down to her neck and touched the silver necklace, Jo closed her eyes and arched her back from the floor and Dean so badly wanted to kiss her, touch her, make her his.

Where ever Dean's fingers went across her body, her skin burned. It felt so good to have his body pressed against hers, feeling _everything_ against her. He played with her necklace then let his fingers trace her collarbone. Jo sighed, her hands falling from his arms and beside her head, feeling butterflies flip in her stomach. She wondered if Dean could feel them inside of her. That excited, scared feeling. Desperate for _something_...

Dean ducked his head into the curve of her neck and Jo's hand automatically went onto the back of his head, her fingers spread out through his hair. And his arms closed in around her body and gently pulled her on top of him. They lied there together, just quietly. Embracing each other for what seemed like hours. Jo slowly pushed herself up, her hands next to his face and looked down at him. He glanced up at her, his emerald eyes dark from the light in the room and she could see the desperation in his face.

"I..." he whispered. But he couldn't say it and he looked away as his hands found her waist and his thumbs began to massage her. _Start again, Dean._ "Jo... I ..."

"It's okay," Jo replied, leaning back down against him. "You don't have to say it."

He closed his eyes, feeling every curve of her tiny body press against his...and it felt so good that he didn't know if he could control himself. "I gotta say it Jo."

She nodded and leant her head against his chest. "Then say it."

"You know I love Ben and Lisa," Dean said. His hands hitched up her shirt and found its way underneath the fabric. "And you know that I would do anything to protect them."

"I know."

"And what I said on that day when you were lying there," Dean said. The images burned through his mind. He felt a pang in his heart and squeezed her tighter. "You remember that right?"

"I remember."

"And you know I will always feel that way about you," Dean murmured. Jo didn't say anything, but he felt her body tighten around his. "But Ben and Lisa are my priority at the moment."

"I know they are."

"I can't hunt if I'm still with them, Jo."

Jo moved up and looked at him. She kissed his nose. "I know that too."

Dean sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"Do what you want to do," Jo whispered. "Do what you think is right."

Dean smiled at her and ran a hand through her hair. "God, you're always good like that."

"Well, I am the best," Jo grinned.

* * *

**Any questions? :)**


	19. Nineteen

**AN: Let's see if we can make it to 100 Reviews! :D**

**So, I'm guessing you want me to continue with the story so far? I'm so cruel cutting the last chapter there mwahaha :D**

* * *

I never thought I'd be in love like this  
When I look at you my mind goes on a trip  
Then you came in, and knocked me on my face  
Feels like in I'm a race  
But I already won first place

I never thought I'd fall for you as hard as I did  
(As hard as I did, yeah)  
You got me thinkin' bout our life our house and kids, yeah  
Every mornin' I look at you and smile  
'Cause boy you came around and you knocked me down  
Knocked me down  
_Knock You Down - Keri Hilson feat. Kanye West and Ne-Yo_

* * *

Dean loved Lisa.

But to hear those words from his very mouth was like a stab of rejection. But he had also said that he had feelings for Jo, but after what happened a few days ago, Jo had to admit, she didn't know what to do anymore.

Except make Dean hunt again. Become the greatest hunter Jo had ever met.

But she couldn't push him, because she loved him. And if it weren't that their lives – their souls – were not in jeopardy, Jo wouldn't be doing this to him at all.

They had spent the last two days doing separate things to keep them busy. Dean had been outside most of the time, fixing the Impala's radiator while Jo was catching up on the reading inside Bobby's library. They had slept in separate rooms, not because they wanted to, but had to.

If either of them got caught now expressing their feelings, it could be too much. Dean: because he still had things to do in his life and Jo: because it might be too much to see him go back home to Lisa.

But that didn't mean they didn't want to do anything.

Jo wanted to go outside to Dean. Hell, her feelings for him were still there and even though she was careful not to show it sometimes, other times she wanted to so badly.

She had never had sex. It was choice of course. She never really met the right guy to do it with. The only men she ever met during her life were the biggest assholes in America or stupid uni men.

But meeting the Winchester's did really change her perspective on things.

She had tried to be cocky, tried to flirt but she had never really done so unless it was for something like food or money. But she had never flirted to be with a man, so on that first day when she met Dean Winchester sitting in her bar, she walked up to him, full of confidence...and failed flirting.

She was never really good at any of those things. _Seduction,_ _lust... _Jo wouldn't be able to pull that off. She was still a kid, dammit and she hated her body. Hated the scars left on her skin or how her eyes were brown and not blue. She could never find herself really that beautiful, even when she wore a dress and makeup. She was just plain little Joanna, her mother's daughter who wanted to hunt to honour her dad's memory. All Jo had on her side was attitude, a hot-head and the ability to walk in a straight line.

After several books, did she give up reading. She went outside to where Dean was in the car yard. It was just 12pm and the sky was a piercing blue, whitening around the horizon. She tugged her hair up in a pony tail and walked over to the man bent over the engine of his car elbows deep. Music was playing through the Impala's radio and with the windows down. Jo poked her head around Dean's shoulder to see what he was doing.

"You finished?" she asked.

"Almost..." Dean replied, sweat running down his forehead. He cut himself on something and grunted in pain.

"Do you want help?" Jo offered.

Dean gave her a look and Jo lifted her hands up. "Only asking."

"It should be..." he twisted something there and replaced another here. It took less than a few minutes until he was done. He got the dirty rag sitting on the car's shaft and wiped his hands, closing the front. Jo was leaning against the car door, her arms crossed and watching Dean.

"Does it feel good to drive her again?" Jo asked.

Dean paused for a moment. "Well, I can tell you one thing," he said. "Sedans suck."

She smiled, pointing to the car with her eyes. "You love her don't you? I can see it when you drive."

Dean gave a wary smile back. "She's my baby," he replied. "Who knows, maybe one lucky day you might drive her."

Jo's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Once I know you can't kill yourself in a hunt," Dean said.

With that the two heard the rumble of a car's engine in the distance. Jo stood up straight and Dean turned to the direction it was coming from. It was Bobby for sure, Dean knew. He saw Jo walking towards the front of the house but Dean grabbed her arm.

She looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"Just wait here," Dean replied, hoping she would do as she would was told. Jo rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

Bobby's car stopped at the front of the house and the old hunter got out of the car. His hair was greyer and their were more wrinkles on his face, but Bobby was always Bobby and Dean couldn't help but to crack a smile. Bobby saw him round the front of his house and gave a greeting nod.

"Dean," Bobby replied.

"Bobby."

Bobby gave a hard punch in Dean's left arm and glared at him. "You idjit, be worth it if you called once in a while."

Dean's eyes watered. "I'm sorry Bobby. I didn't really have anything to say."

"A year," Bobby growled. "I had been waiting to see if you were alive. Now all of a sudden you're here?"

"Look, Bobby, I know," Dean said, lowering his voice. "But I need your help."

Bobby's face softened a bit. "What of exactly?"

"Bobby Singer!"

Both of the hunter's heads swerved around to see Jo walking up to them. Dean groaned and looked over to Bobby who was taking a double take.

"Jo," Dean called to her.

The old hunter tensed beside Dean. He looked at him fiercely. "You damn well better explain yourself boy."

"She's not a demon or a ghost, Bobby," he replied quickly as he saw Bobby's finger itch to his gun. "I've done all that. She's completely human."

"So you didn't tell Bobby, huh?" Jo replied, her hands on her hips. Dean looked at her apologetically.

"Jo?" Bobby replied, squinting as if it would bring clarity to him. "Joanna Beth? Is that you?"

She gave him a smile. "It's-"

Before she knew it, she was coughing up the holy water thrown at her face. She wiped it out of her eyes and said in a more annoyed voice. "Didn't Dean tell you I'm not a demon?"

"Yeah, well," Bobby said gruffly, a little embarrassed what he had just done. "I gotta see it for myself."

Jo could feel Dean's _I-told-you-to-wait-out-the-back-so-you-didn't-get-holy-water-thrown-in-your-face _look burning into her. Bobby grinned and wrapped her up in a big bear hug. "It's good to see you, Jo. God it's so good."

Jo hugged him back. "You too, Bobby."

He took a step back and looked at the both of them. "So the question is now, why are you back?"


	20. Great News!

*Holds up megaphone* **Guess what everybody? Someone's decided to do this story!**

Yes, I know - I'm alive! Long time, no see people - how are we doing? Hows life? And _Happy Valentines Day~_

Did we get flowers? Roses? Proposals? *waggles eyebrows* :D

Anyway, it's GREAT to see someone finally continuing with the epicness of this story (say what?) -

**I've teamed up with maygirl32 and the story "If Only I ever Could Part Two".**

It's on her FF site, so just search her pen name and you'll be awed by the awsomeness of

Agent Chicken and Agent Maygirl bringing YOU -yes, I mean **YOU** (and Bob)

the new installment to this story.

Have fun darlings ~ I hope to speak with you guys soon and don't forget to review 3

Love Love :D


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